U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has taken the rare step of rebuking President Trump's criticism of a federal judge.
Trump had referred to an appeals court judge who ruled against his policy barring asylum for certain immigrants as an "Obama judge."
In a statement, Roberts defended the independence of the federal judiciary.
He praised who he called an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.
It was the first time the chief justice spoke against Trump and it is rare for a U.S. chief justice to clash with a president.
Trump fired back on Twitter, defending his previous statement and launching fresh attacks against federal judges.