US President Donald Trump has stepped up his criticism of the country's judiciary, saying courts seem to be "so political", after his travel ban faced close scrutiny from an appeals court.
US President Donald Trump made the remarks at a meeting with hundreds of police chiefs and sheriffs. Photo: AFP
A three-judge panel of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on the Trump administration's challenge to a lower court order putting his temporary travel ban on hold.
Mr Trump accused the judge who issued the order of opening the United States to "potential terrorists".
The appeals court is expected to issue a ruling as soon as today.
"I don't ever want to call a court biased," Mr Trump told hundreds of police chiefs and sheriffs from major cities at a meeting in Washington DC. "So I won't call it biased. And we haven't had a decision yet. But courts seem to be so political. And it would be so great for our justice system if they would be able to read the statement and do what's right."
It was a "sad day", he said.
"I think our security's at risk today."
The appeals court must decide whether Mr Trump acted within his authority or violated the US Constitution's prohibition on laws favouring one religion over another, as well as anti-discrimination laws, and was tantamount to a discriminatory ban targeting Muslims.
The court is expected to decide the narrow question of whether a lower court judge acted properly in temporarily halting enforcement of the president's order.
The order barred travellers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering for 90 days and all refugees for 120 days, except those from civil war-torn Syria, whom Mr Trump banned indefinitely.
In a Twitter post, Mr Trump wrote, "If the US does not win this case as it so obviously should, we can never have the security and safety to which we are entitled. Politics!"
Warren barred from speaking
Meanwhile, Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced by Senate Republicans after reading a letter written by Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr.
The letter, written 30 years ago, criticised Jeff Sessions, Mr Trump's nominee for attorney-general.
Written to oppose President Reagan's 1986 nomination of Mr Sessions as a federal judge, Ms Scott King's letter alleged that Mr Sessions was unsuitable for that role because he had "used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters".
Ms Warren's reading was interrupted by the Senate's presiding officer, Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana, who said she was breaking a rule that stops senators accusing each other of "unbecoming" conduct.
Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, agreed.
His objection to Ms Warren's speech was put to a vote, and the chamber voted to silence Ms Warren by 49 to 43.
She is banned from speaking again in the Senate on Mr Sessions' nomination.
The incident has outraged Democrats, who argued that Republicans were selectively enforcing the measure.
In July 2015 Senator Ted Cruz was not found to have violated it despite accusing Mitch McConnell - a member of his own party - of a "flat-out lie".
- BBC / Reuters