AG Sessions slams judges for thwarting Trump policies

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top law enforcement officer is railing against federal judges who have thwarted or criticized Trump administration policies.

In a Thursday speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Attorney General Jeff Sessions says judges who have temporarily blocked policies like the travel ban and have spoken out against other decisions are acting on political preferences rather than the law.

The chief prosecutor says judges are failing to respect Congress and the "prerogatives and perspectives of the executive branch." He took aim at a Brooklyn judge who called "heartless" the Trump's move to end a program protecting some young immigrants from deportation.

It was an unusual commentary from an attorney general but not without precedent. And it's not the first time Sessions has attacked judges for what he sees as overreach.