Judge blocks Trump’s move to revoke attorney’s security clearance.
A U.S. District Judge in Washington, Amir Ali, issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the Trump administration from applying a March presidential memorandum designed to revoke security clearance for attorney Mark Zaid. Zaid sued the administration in May over the proposed revocation, and the court’s ruling bars enforcement of the memo until January 13.
The memorandum identified Zaid and 14 other individuals who the White House declared were no longer “in the national interest.” The named figures include former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco; New York Attorney General Letitia James; former President Joe Biden; and members of the Biden family.
Judge Ali clarified that the injunction does not stop the agency from revoking or suspending Zaid’s clearance through ordinary legal procedures unrelated to the executive order. The order limits only the summary revocation process specified in the memorandum and reflects a broader administration effort to target political opponents through clearance actions announced earlier in August.
Zaid is a 35‑year veteran of national‑security law who has represented clients across the political spectrum, including a whistleblower whose testimony helped initiate Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. The ruling is viewed by legal observers as a judicial check on executive clearance policy.