DOJ Fires Four Prosecutors Who Weaponized FACE Act Against Peaceful Christian Protesters

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has fired four prosecutors from its Civil Rights Division who led aggressive prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act against Christian pro-life activists.

The terminations, which occurred on Monday, target officials responsible for charging nearly two dozen peaceful prayer demonstrators at a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in October 2020. Among those fired was longtime prosecutor Sanjay Patel.

A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed the action, stating the department “has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department.”

One case that drew national attention involved 75-year-old Paula Harlow, a grandmother with serious health issues who joined the group in quiet prayer outside the clinic. Video showed no violence or harm to anyone. Yet in 2024, a federal judge sentenced her to 24 months in prison—the tenth such conviction tied to the protest. Harlow’s husband pleaded for mercy, fearing she would not survive behind bars. During sentencing, the judge mocked her Christian faith, telling her to “honor the tenets of her religion and not die in jail.”

The firings come as the Trump administration prepares a report detailing how the Biden-era DOJ under Merrick Garland selectively enforced the 1994 FACE Act against people of faith while downplaying attacks on churches and pro-life centers.

For families like Harlow’s, the moves mark a long-awaited step toward restoring fairness after years of what they describe as targeted persecution for simply standing up for their beliefs.