(The Daily Signal) The Department of Justice told a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops committee that attacks on pro-life pregnancy resource centers can be prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, according to an email obtained by The Daily Signal.
It is important because it concerns the Justice Department faces intense criticism For failing to prosecute those who vandalized or attacked pregnancy resource centers and churches, according to Catholic Vote trackers at least 86 Catholic churches 74 pregnancy resource centers Since the May leakage of the Supreme Court draft opinion, which was to overturn the May leak, pro-life groups have been attacked. Roe v. Wade).
Tweet This A USCCB committee was informed by the DOJ that attacks on pregnant resource centers could be pursued under the FACE Act.
It wasn’t clear at this point whether the Justice Department was going to pursue these attacks under FACE Act.
Tweet this: There is intense criticism of the DOJ for failing to prosecute those who vandalized or attacked pregnancy centers and churches.
Thomas Grenchik, USCCB Secretariat of Prolife Activities Executive Director, updated diocesan prolife directors and state Catholic conferences directors with information in an email dated Nov. 2. Justice Department’s “outreach on pregnancy center attacks.”
“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has a task force dedicated to enforcing the FACE Act,” Grenchik said. “Recently, the director of the task force reached out to the USCCB regarding the ongoing attacks on pregnancy resource centers.”
“The director conveyed that it is DOJ’s position that these attacks can be prosecuted under the FACE Act,” he continued. “He asked for our assistance in letting pregnancy resource centers know that the FACE Act protects them, and in encouraging pregnancy resource centers to report these attacks to federal law enforcement.”
Tweet This It is DOJ’s position that ongoing attacks on pregnancy resource centers attacks can be prosecuted under the FACE Act
Here at Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center in DC where someone dumped red paint on the door, egged the windows, and wrote “Jane Says Revenge.” The director of the pro-life clinic told me the vandalism makes her incredibly “sad” in light of the work they do every day. pic.twitter.com/Qo1lu60eNn
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) June 3, 2022
The Daily Signal Several times The Justice Department was contacted. It is required to provide details about the number of proabortion attacks it plans to bring to justice under the FACE Act. Although the DOJ refused to disclose this information, Charged 26 people supporting life have been charged with violating the FACE Act since January 1.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which “prohibits threats of force, obstruction and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.”
The FACE Act was used in the past to bring criminal charges against those accused of attacking abortion centers. Its language protects pro-life groups as well. under the term “reproductive health services,” as Grenchik pointed out.
Tweet This While the FACE Act is often used to prosecute abortion centers for alleged attacks, it also protects pro-life groups.
In his email, Grenchik specifically referred to the slogan, “If abortions aren’t safe, then neither are you,” which has been repeatedly spray-painted on the walls of pregnancy resource centers since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization leak, often accompanied by the spray-painted phrase “Jane’s Revenge.”
Pro-abortion terrorists set fire to it.
“When asked if one of the more typical forms of these attacks—graffiti bearing the phrase ‘If abortions aren’t safe, then neither are you’—could be prosecuted under the FACE Act, he said that such an attack could constitute a FACE Act offense, and that he is hopeful that DOJ could bring charges in many of those cases,” Grenchik added.
He also urged pregnancy resource centers to “take DOJ’s outreach at face value,” calling for these pro-life groups to report attacks to federal law enforcement.
“Although it is reasonable to be concerned that federal charges have not yet been filed against any of the perpetrators of the numerous attacks on pregnancy resource centers this year, that concern carries less weight if pregnancy resource centers are not reporting these attacks to federal law enforcement,” he noted.
The USCCB, and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to our requests for comment. The Daily Signal.
Editor’s note: This article Original publication by The Daily Signal, Heritage Foundation’s news platform.
