US travel ban: Trump says courts are making his job difficult and calls for 'careful' border checks

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday (5 February) that he has directed border officials to check people entering the country "very carefully", as his travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries remains suspended.

In a series of tweets, Trump voiced his anger and said that the federal courts were making his work "very difficult". He also said that the judge who challenged his travel ban should take the blame if some untoward incident happened in America.

"I have instructed Homeland Security to check people coming into our country VERY CAREFULLY. The courts are making the job very difficult!" he tweeted.

He soon followed it up with another post and said, "Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!"

The president's comments were directed at Judge James Robart of the Seattle Court who ordered a temporary suspension of the executive order on 3 February. He had earlier opposed Robart's ruling and called it a "terrible decision".

After the federal appeals court rejected the White House's request to reinstate the controversial travel ban on 5 February, Trump slammed the judiciary.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has given the White House and two US states, Washington and Minnesota, until Monday (6 February) to present more arguments.

Since the ban has been suspended, visa holders from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Syria and Somalia are being allowed to enter the US.