Overview
- U.S. District Judge Amir Ali granted a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the March presidential memorandum as applied to attorney Mark Zaid.
- The court concluded the summary revocation was likely political retribution rather than a national security determination.
- The order is stayed until Jan. 13, 2026, and it leaves room for agencies to pursue standard clearance reviews based on independent, substantiated reasons.
- Trump’s March directive named Zaid and 14 others as no longer in the national interest to hold clearances, and in August the administration said 37 officials lost clearances.
- Ali also denied the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss, and Zaid argued the revocation jeopardized his ability to represent clients in classified matters.