A federal judge has halted the Trump administration’s attempt to strip Washington attorney Mark Zaid of his security clearance, ruling that a March presidential memorandum targeting him cannot be enforced in his case.
The decision came Tuesday as part of a broader setback for the administration, which earlier in the day was rebuffed by the Supreme Court in its effort to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago. Together, the rulings stressed a pattern that has marked President Donald Trump’s return to office, with courts repeatedly slowing or blocking elements of his agenda and efforts aimed at political opponents.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, sitting in Washington, granted Zaid’s request for a preliminary injunction after the attorney sued the administration in May. Zaid argued that the revocation of his security clearance amounted to “improper political retribution” and threatened his ability to continue handling sensitive national security cases.
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The March memorandum had named Zaid and 14 others whose clearances the White House said were no longer in the national interest. Those listed included figures who have drawn Trump’s ire over the years, such as former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden, and members of his family.
The move was part of a wider campaign of retaliation that has characterized Trump’s second term, including orders directing Justice Department investigations and actions against law firms tied to work the president opposes.
In August, the administration announced plans to revoke the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials. The removal of clearances has become a recurring tool used by Trump against political rivals, attorneys, and former intelligence officials, even as courts have repeatedly questioned the legality of such actions.
In his lawsuit, Zaid detailed a career spanning nearly 35 years in which he represented clients across the political spectrum, including government officials, military personnel, and whistleblowers. He also served as counsel in 2019 to an intelligence community whistleblower whose account of a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy played a role in the first impeachment proceedings against Trump.
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“This court joins the several others in this district that have enjoined the government from using the summary revocation of security clearances to penalize lawyers for representing people adverse to it,” Ali wrote in his ruling.
The judge indicated that the decision does not prevent the government from suspending or revoking Zaid’s clearance through standard procedures unrelated to the presidential memorandum. The injunction will take effect on January 13.
Reacting to the ruling, Zaid said in a statement, “This is not just a victory for me, it’s an indictment of the Trump administration’s attempts to intimidate and silence the legal community, especially lawyers who represent people who dare to question or hold this government accountable.”
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