A 15-page brief described the executive order as a “lawful exercise of the president’s authority”, and stressed that it was not a ban on Muslims, the BBC said.

A hearing has been set for today to decide whether to allow or reject the ban.

On Friday Seattle’s federal judge blocked Trump’s ban, which had prevented travellers from the mainly-Muslim countries from arriving in the US.

A US federals court then rejected an appeal by President Trump’s administration on Saturday against the suspension.

The move means visa holders from Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen are currently allowed to enter the US until the full case has been heard

In a brief filed last night, the department of justice said the Washington court had “erred in entering an injunction barring enforcement of the order”.

"But even if some relief were appropriate, the court’s sweeping nationwide injunction is vastly overbroad," the department of justice added.

The brief argues a number of points, including: that the president is best placed to make decisions about national security; it is “incorrect” to call it a ban on Muslims because the seven countries are identified by their terror risk; and aliens outside the US have no rights to due process.

Polls suggest US opinion remains sharply divided on the matter, the BBC said.