California's governor has accused
the US Department of Justice of waging war after it filed a lawsuit
against the state over its immigration policies.
The department filed a lawsuit over the state's "sanctuary" laws that protect illegal immigrants from deportation.
Mr Brown accused Mr Sessions of lying to appease President Donald Trump. "Like so many in the Trump administration, this attorney general has no regard for the truth," Governor Brown told reporters, arguing the state's laws were created with input and support from California law enforcement.
"This is basically going to war against the state of California."
Mr Sessions had earlier addressed a group of law enforcement officials in the state's capital city a day after he filed a lawsuit over three of California's laws regarding "sanctuary" policies, which curb co-operation with federal immigration authorities.
"California absolutely, it appears to me, is using every power it has - powers it doesn't have - to frustrate federal law enforcement," the top law enforcement official said on Wednesday. "So you can be sure I'm going to use every power I have to stop them."