December 27, 2025
Court rules presidential memo targeting Washington lawyer Mark Zaid amounts to political retaliation and cannot be enforced against him.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping the security clearance of prominent Washington attorney Mark Zaid, dealing another legal setback to President Donald Trump’s efforts to target perceived political opponents.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali issued a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of a March presidential memorandum that ordered the revocation of Zaid’s clearance. The directive also named 14 other individuals, but, according to the ruling, could not be applied to Zaid as written.
The decision came the same day the Supreme Court declined to approve Trump’s request to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area, marking a second courtroom loss for the administration in a single day. Together, the rulings underscore how Trump’s policy and personnel actions have been repeatedly slowed or halted by judges since his return to office.
As reported by The Washington Post, Zaid filed suit in May, arguing that the revocation was motivated by politics rather than legitimate security concerns. In court filings, he described the Trump administration’s move as “improper political retribution” that threatened his ability to represent clients involved in sensitive national security matters.
Judge Ali agreed, writing that the government cannot use expedited clearance revocations to punish attorneys for their legal work. “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 stated in his order.
The March memorandum stated that it was “no longer in the national interest” for Zaid and others to retain security clearances. The list included several high-profile figures who have drawn Trump’s criticism, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden, and members of Biden’s family.
The action is part of a broader pattern since Trump’s return to the White House, which has included directing investigations into critics and issuing executive orders targeting law firms and attorneys involved in cases he opposes. In August, the administration announced it was revoking the clearances of 37 current and former national security officials.
Zaid has practiced national security law for nearly 35 years and has represented clients from across the political spectrum, including military officials, law enforcement officers, and whistleblowers. In 2019, he represented an intelligence community whistleblower whose complaint about Trump’s call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy contributed to Trump’s first impeachment.
Ali emphasized that the ruling does not permanently bar the government from reviewing Zaid’s clearance. The administration may still pursue revocation through standard procedures unrelated to the presidential memo. The injunction is set to take effect Jan. 13.
In a statement following the ruling, Zaid said the decision sends a broader message. “This is not just a victory for me,” he said. “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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