Abortion clinics brace for reinvigorated protests after Trump's pardons

The big picture: In his first week in office, Trump pardoned 23 anti-abortion activists who had been convicted of illegally blockading a reproductive health clinic in D.C.

• The activists had violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits the use of force, threats or obstruction to block access to reproductive health clinics.
• Among them was Bevelyn Williams, who was sentenced to more than three years in prison after crushing a clinic volunteer's hand with a door.
• The Justice Department also announced that it would curtail prosecutions of FACE Act violations, pursuing them only under "extraordinary circumstances" or in cases involving "significant aggravating factors," like death or property damage, the Washington Post reported.
• On top of these changes, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) reintroduced legislation last month to repeal the FACE Act, which he claimed was "weaponized" against "pro-life Americans."

State of play: Taken together, the Trump administration's moves send a "dangerous message that emboldens extremists and jeopardizes the safety of clinics," CHOICES, a health care clinic in Carbondale, Illinois, said in a January statement.

• "The consequences of this policy shift are immediate and severe," it added, noting that it would invest in new security measures, like bulletproof glass, additional security cameras, and privacy screens.
• Dipal Shah, chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, told Axios that the administration's actions are "an attempt to normalize harassment."
• "One attack on a patient is enough to harm our entire community, and we know that perpetrators are emboldened by these actions," Shah added.

A Preferred Women's Health Center, which operates several clinics in Georgia and North Carolina, has noticed a shift in the past few months.

• "We've seen an increase in hostility and aggression from protesters since the election; particularly in the past few weeks and even more so since the pardons occurred," Calla Hales, APWHC executive director, told Axios.
• Since the FACE Act pardons came down, the APWHC has experienced both trespassing and a "protester attempting to enter our admin office while posing as a confused patient," Hales said.

• "I do feel that all abortion clinics should be preparing to deal with escalation in the coming months," she added.

What they're saying: A White House spokesperson told Axios that the FACE Act had been used to target people who were expressing their First Amendment religious views.

• The individuals pardoned by Trump had been protesting and praying in front of abortion clinics and had not committed violent crimes, the spokesperson said.
• Williams' case, the spokesperson claimed, was also nonviolent.
• Kate Glenn Daniel, director of legal affairs and policy council at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told Axios that the group lauded the end to the "targeting of nonviolent, peaceful protestors."

What's next: Anti-abortion groups are urging the new administration to restrict abortion pill access, which Trump — for now — has committed to protecting.

• However, the Trump administration took other steps to limit access to the procedure, including issuing an executive order vowing to enforce the Hyde Amendment, which bars using federal funds for most abortions.

Go deeper: Trump abortion timeline: Tracking his shifting views on the procedure

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Kate Glenn Daniel.