Judge: Trump made 'vicious' anti-immigrant tweets

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in New York hearing two lawsuits challenging the cancellation of a program protecting some young immigrants from deportation has accused President Donald Trump of making "extreme" and "vicious" anti-immigrant statements.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis told Justice Department lawyers Tuesday he could not ignore Trump's "drumbeat" of statements and tweets about immigrants from Mexico and other countries.

Garaufis is hearing lawsuits seeking to overturn the administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The plaintiffs say the decision to end the program was motivated by racial animus against Latinos.

Lawyers for the administration strongly deny the Republican president's decision was motivated by hatred. They say the DACA program was legally flawed.

Trump has expressed sympathy for immigrants covered by the DACA program.