President Donald Trump has fired the acting Attorney General after she refused to defend his controversial immigration order. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Daniel Ragsdale was fired just two hours later without explanation.

Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a Democratic appointee, was accused of 'betraying' America after she directed Justice Department attorneys not to defend Trump's so called 'Muslim ban' on Monday. She said she was not convinced the order was lawful.

Dana Boente was sworn in as acting attorney general at 9pm on Monday in a hastily arranged ceremony after Trump fired his predecessor. He has already issued an order for the Justice Department to defend Trump's executive order.  

Meanwhile Thomas Homan has been appointed to take over as Acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency from Ragsdale. 

Earlier, CNN reported that Yates wrote a letter to lawyers explaining: 'My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts.'

'In addition, I am responsible for ensuring that the positions we take in court remain consistent with this institution's solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right,' she continued. 

'At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful,' she concluded. 

A statement from the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated that Yates has 'betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States.'

Currently, there are lawsuits filed in at least five states including Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, Washington and California, which challenge the order that the new president signed on Friday.

It bans citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from coming into the United States for 90 days, while pausing the refugee program for 120 days.  

Protests against Trump's action have broken out at major airports and in major cities including New York, Boston and Washington.