ACLJ Files at Supreme Court To Defend Pro-Life Centers From Government Harassment

A nationwide effort is underway to smear, harass, and ultimately shut down pro-life centers that educate and provide abortion alternatives to pregnant women. In defense of this vital role, the ACLJ just filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in First Choice Women’s Resource Centers v. Platkin, a case that could have significant ramifications for pro-life organizations nationwide.

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Our brief, filed on behalf of several pro-life and pro-family organizations – including A Woman’s Concern, Inc., d/b/a Your Options Medical, the Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative, New Jersey Right to Life, and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates – shows that the targeting of Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) is not an isolated problem.

PRCs provide free services to millions of women and families every year. In New Jersey alone, centers helped more than 35,000 women, men, and youth in one year, providing ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, parenting classes, and baby supplies – services valued at nearly $3 million, at no cost to taxpayers. Nationwide, PRCs save communities countless millions by offering care that government programs would otherwise have to cover.

Instead of supporting these vital organizations, state and federal officials have smeared PRCs as “deceptive,” “misleading,” or even “dangerous.” New Jersey’s Attorney General has issued “consumer alerts” singling them out. Lawmakers in pro-abortion states are pushing bills designed to cripple or even shut down PRCs outright.

The hostility has spilled into violence. Since the leak of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, nearly 100 acts of vandalism, fire bombings, and threats have been directed at PRCs and other pro-life organizations across the country. And while these centers face attacks, states like New Jersey have gone even further, seeking to force PRCs to hand over confidential donor lists, which could effectively expose their supporters to the same harassment and intimidation PRCs are facing.

The Constitutional Issue

This case is about the First Amendment. The government cannot censor speech or force citizens to promote its preferred message. Nor can it weaponize disclosure requirements to intimidate or punish people for supporting causes it disfavors.

As our brief explains, compelled disclosure of donor identities would put private citizens at risk. The Supreme Court recognized this danger decades ago in NAACP v. Alabama, when it struck down Alabama’s attempt to force disclosure of NAACP members. In that case, the Court recognized that compelled disclosure chills freedom of association by deterring membership under fear of retaliation. The same principle applies here.

PRCs have the constitutional right to speak from their moral and religious convictions, to offer life-affirming alternatives, and to operate free from harassment. Donors likewise have the right to support these organizations without fear of retaliation.

The ACLJ has been on the front lines defending PRCs from unconstitutional attacks across the country. Most recently, we have challenged state-funded smear campaigns in Massachusetts. Again and again, we have stepped in when abortion advocates have tried to weaponize government power to silence dissent.

Now the Supreme Court will weigh in. If New Jersey’s actions are upheld, no nonprofit – pro-life or otherwise – will be safe from politically motivated investigations and forced disclosure campaigns. Government officials could use their offices to punish and shut down disfavored organizations at will.

Standing for Life and Liberty

The ACLJ is committed to defending life and liberty at the highest levels of our judicial system. We will not allow hostile officials to weaponize their authority against pro-life Americans or the organizations that serve them.

This case could set a precedent that protects not just PRCs but all nonprofits from unconstitutional government overreach. As it proceeds to the Supreme Court, we will continue to fight to ensure that PRCs remain free to serve women, protect pre-born children, and speak the truth – without fear.

Pro-life advocacy shouldn’t be criminalized – sign our petition: Stop Criminalizing Saving Unborn Babies.