In one of his final acts as president, Joe Biden commuted the life sentence of Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who has been in prison for nearly five decades following his conviction for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents.
The decision, made just moments before President Donald Trump was sworn into office, allows the 80-year-old Peltier to serve the remainder of his sentence under home confinement, but it stops short of granting him a full pardon.
Peltier was convicted in the deaths of FBI special agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler during a standoff at South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. For decades, Peltier’s case has been a rallying cry for activists, tribal leaders, and human rights advocates, including Pope Francis, who have argued that he was wrongfully convicted and that his continued imprisonment serves no justice given his poor health.
Reactions to the decision
The commutation sparked mixed reactions across the political spectrum. While his supporters view him as a symbol of the injustices faced by Native Americans, critics argue his conviction represents accountability for the brutal deaths of two federal agents.
Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, hailed the decision as a long-overdue step toward justice, saying she was “beyond words” about Peltier’s commutation and that his release “signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades.”
I am beyond words about the commutation of Leonard Peltier. His release from prison signifies a measure of justice that has long evaded so many Native Americans for so many decades. I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family. I applaud President Biden for this…
— Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) January 20, 2025
However, critics, including law enforcement officials, have sharply opposed the move. FBI officials, including outgoing Director Christopher Wray, have consistently maintained Peltier’s guilt, with Wray opposing his application for parole last year.
Ezra Cohen, an adjunct fellow at the Hudson Institute, called the decision a betrayal of justice. “Perhaps Biden’s most contemptuous move towards the justice system today was the pardoning of Leonard Peltier, who murdered two FBI agents in cold blood,” Cohen said.
Perhaps Biden’s most contemptuous move towards the justice system today was the pardoning of Leonard Peltier who murdered two FBI agents in cold blood.
— Ezra A. Cohen (@EzraACohen) January 20, 2025
Another polarizing last-minute move by Biden
Biden on Monday also made a striking decision to pardon several high-profile former officials and lawmakers he worried Trump could seek to prosecute once taking office, including former Gen. Mark Milley, former White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of the defunct Jan. 6 committee.
Shortly thereafter, Biden pardoned five of his family members, including his brother James, a move that was foreshadowed in the weeks before leaving office.
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Biden’s commutation of Peltier’s sentence was part of a broader clemency push by Biden that has been met with harsh criticism. Late last month, he commuted the death sentences of 37 out of 40 inmates on death row, a move slammed by Trump.
He also commuted the sentences for 2,500 individuals on Friday, some of whom he wrongfully claimed were “nonviolent,” including several people convicted of illegally possessing firearms. Among those granted clemency were two men whose actions led to the death of a police officer, Ferrone Claiborne and Terence Richardson.
