WASHINGTON — A newly released Department of Justice report from the Trump administration alleges federal prosecutors under President Biden disproportionately targeted anti-abortion protesters compared to other demonstrators. The 156-page document, finalized in December 2020 but only made public this week, examines 63 cases involving clinic protests between 2017-2020.
According to analysts who reviewed the report, it claims anti-abortion demonstrators faced 28% more felony charges than environmental or racial justice protesters for comparable actions. However, the study acknowledges its dataset excludes most state-level prosecutions and doesn’t account for variables like property damage or violence severity.
Legal experts note the report’s release coincides with ongoing Supreme Court deliberations over protest buffer zones. “This appears designed to influence jurisprudence,” said a Georgetown law professor speaking anonymously due to pending litigation. White House officials dismissed the findings as “a politically motivated audit” lacking peer review.
The controversy comes as new CDC data shows rising violence against abortion providers, with 42% reporting threats in 2025 versus 34% in 2020. Some civil rights groups argue the DOJ report’s narrow focus obscures this broader pattern of clinic harassment.