Antisemitism and Religious Liberty

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said Tuesday that DOJ is now using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act more broadly to pursue protesters who physically obstruct or harass congregants at synagogues and other houses of worship. Speaking at an antisemitism and extremism conference at George Washington University, she highlighted a civil case against demonstrators accused of disrupting services at a synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, calling it a first-of-its-kind application and a model for future enforcement. The FACE Act, best known for abortion-clinic cases, also covers violent threats, force or physical obstruction aimed at people seeking to worship, and Dhillon said the department is reviewing similar incidents elsewhere and may bring additional actions. She framed the shift as a response to a spike in antisemitic incidents since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, arguing that allowing unlawful conduct against Jewish worshippers would erode civil-rights protections for all faiths. The remarks signal a concrete DOJ enforcement posture that will likely trigger constitutional challenges from protest organizers and close scrutiny from civil-liberties advocates concerned about how federal prosecutors distinguish protected speech from criminal obstruction.