US attorney-general criticises nationwide injunctions

WASHINGTON: US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blasted the judicial branch of the federal government for freezing many of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, including the travel ban and sanctuary city funding.

“All courts are in power to decide specific cases and controversies but they do not have every word on matters of policy. Give me a break,” the nation’s chief law enforcer told the conservative legal group the Federalist Society.

“The branches that are directly accountable to the people must be given their proper respect,” Sessions said, drawing applause from his audience at Georgetown University.

Nationwide injunctions are court rulings that prohibit the government from enforcing laws against anyone in the country before a trial, including those who are not a party to the lawsuit.

Since taking office in January 2017, President Donald Trump’s executive orders have been imposed 22 injunctions, including the 2017 travel ban, in which about 100 waivers were denied to thousands of applicants for US visas from the eight countries subject to its restrictions, according to State Department data provided to Reuters.

Trump’s decision to cut funding to sanctuary cities, reinstate the ban on transgender troop members and the change of the Obamacare contraceptivecoverage mandate have been held up by injunctions. — Reuters