U.S. District Judge Amir Ali temporarily blocked President Trump’s revocation of attorney Mark Zaid’s security clearance, finding the action to be "retribution" taken without due process. The judge concluded the administration did not perform an individualized national-security assessment and that Zaid showed credible evidence he cannot properly advise clients without access to classified material. Ali granted a preliminary injunction to restore the clearance but stayed it for 21 days to allow a possible DOJ appeal; the restoration would take effect on Jan. 13 if no appeal is filed.
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump From Revoking Mark Zaid's Security Clearance, Calls Action "Retribution"
File: Attorney Mark Zaid, the lawyer for former Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Susan Monarez, at hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, on Sept. 17, 2025 in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to strip longtime national-security attorney Mark Zaid of his security clearance, finding the administration’s action amounted to "retribution" and was taken without appropriate due process.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ruled that the government "summarily cancel[ed] the attorney's security clearance without any of the process that is afforded to others," and that the administration did not perform an individualized national-security assessment before revoking Zaid’s clearance.
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction, Then Pauses It
Ali granted Zaid’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would "immediately and fully restore" his security clearance and access to classified information. The judge stayed that order for 21 days to give the Justice Department time to consider an appeal; if the department does not appeal, the restoration is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 13.
Ali also denied the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss Zaid’s lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed.
Impact on Zaid's Practice
The court found Zaid presented credible evidence that, without access to classified material, he "cannot properly advise current clients" who require classified information in their defenses. Zaid, who has held a security clearance for more than two decades, represented the whistleblower who raised concerns about President Trump’s communications with Ukraine during his first term and has since been retained by other whistleblowers.
In a statement to CBS News, Zaid said the ruling is "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." He added: "I will not be intimidated and look forward to continuing to defend the brave men and women who stand up to the unlawful retaliation of the Trump administration."
The revocations in May also targeted several prominent Democrats and former officials, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump’s order said these individuals were "no longer in the national interest" to access classified information.
Background: Judge Amir Ali was nominated by President Joe Biden. The case will proceed while the preliminary injunction is paused for potential appeal.
