New US chief lawyer to defend Trump travel ban

The new US acting attorney general vowed Monday to defend President Donald Trump's controversial immigration order, hours after his predecessor was ousted for defying it.

Federal prosecutor Dana Boente was named to the position after Trump sacked Sally Yates, a Barack Obama appointee held over pending confirmation of Trump's nominee Jeff Sessions. Yates had instructed Department of Justice lawyers not to defend the ban on immigration from seven Muslim nations.

"Based upon the Office of Legal Counsel's analysis, which found the Executive Order both lawful on its face and properly drafted, I hereby rescind former Acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates January 30, 2017, guidance and direct the men and women of the Department of Justice to do our sworn duty and to defend the lawful orders of our President," Boente said in a statement.

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