Judges Involved in Trump Ban Challenge Bolster Security After Threats

Judges involved in the suspension of President Donald Trump's travel ban are subject to increased security protection after threats were made against them, it has been revealed.

Law enforcement agencies, both federal and local, are temporarily stepping up security for some of the judges involved in legal challenges to the controversial executive order that banned citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the country, police officials told CNN.

The identities of the judges subject to increased security measures remain unknown, and the threats are unspecified, but were serious enough for law enforcement to act.

The U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement: "We do not discuss our specific security measures, we continuously review the security measures in place for all federal judges and take appropriate steps to provide additional protection when it is warranted."

Trump has continued to attack judges for suspending the travel ban. He tweeted late Thursday: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!"

Four days earlier, Trump again launched an attack on the justice system. "Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. IF something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!" He claimed that judges had opened the country's borders to "potential terrorists."

Trump has repeatedly stated that the executive order is for the defense of the country, but it caused mass protests in cities across the U.S. and at airports, as even green card holders became caught up in the turmoil and confusion following the order.

It angered countries on the list, particularly Iraq, a key ally in the fight against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS), and Iran, which promised repercussions.

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His verbal and online attacks against judges have increased fears of potential hostility towards them but Trump's team said the president is not advocating "any form of lawlessness" against judicial officials.

"What he is doing is criticizing a judge for what he believes to be a failure to follow the law properly," Leonard Leo, a legal adviser to Trump, told CNN. "Judges are given life tenure so they can go wherever the law takes them knowing that they can resist being unduly influenced by criticism or by praise."