Senior Counsel and International Director for ACLJ⁩ CeCe Heil to Join CPAC Christian Persecution Summit

Staff Writer
3 days ago
2 min read

CeCe Heil, Senior Counsel and International Director for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), will speak at CPAC's Christian Persecution Summit on October 30, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the Terrace Theatre.

As an internationally recognized human rights advocate specializing in public policy and global legal matters, Heil heads a team of lawyers handling cases in defense of life, protection of U.S. national security interests, and dealing with Islamic extremism. Her work extends far beyond domestic religious freedom advocacy—she engages directly with international bodies, including the United Nations, to defend persecuted Christians worldwide.

A 1992 graduate of Regent University School of Law, Heil worked in private practice in Missouri and Tennessee, serving internationally recognized clients before joining the ACLJ. Her leadership in pro-family, pro-life, and pro-free enterprise policy earned her recognition as one of Sarah Palin's "Mama Grizzlies" during her candidacy for Congress. Today, she stands at the forefront of international human rights advocacy, regularly appearing before the U.N. Human Rights Council to raise the plight of Christians facing violence, imprisonment, and death for their faith.

Heil's advocacy translates into concrete action on the world's most urgent persecution cases. She has been instrumental in advocating for American Pastor Andrew Brunson, who was imprisoned in Turkey for over two years on false terror charges without evidence, working with the State Department and submitting statements to the U.N. demanding his release. In July 2023, Heil co-hosted an event at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva alongside the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to address blasphemy laws and Christian persecution in Pakistan and Nigeria, presenting the case of Shahzad Masih, a Christian sentenced to death in Pakistan.

More recently, in March 2025, she addressed anti-conversion laws and persecution of Christians in India at a U.N. side event, exposing how vague laws criminalizing "inducement" mean that "feeding poor people is prohibited" and simple acts like bringing birthday gifts can result in conversion charges. Her work on Nigeria has been particularly impactful—as she states, "I am at the U.N. constantly talking about Nigeria because, as far as Christian persecution goes, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than all other countries combined." Heil successfully convinced the State Department to place Nigeria on its Countries of Particular Concern watchlist, though the Biden Administration later removed it.

At the Summit, attendees will hear from an attorney who doesn't just document persecution from afar—she confronts it in international forums, challenges it through legal advocacy, and mobilizes lawmakers to act.