WASHINGTON, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing California and two top state officials of interfering with federal immigration efforts by passing and enforcing state laws that impede U.S. operations against undocumented people.

The constitution gives the U.S. government sweeping authority over immigration, Justice Department lawyers say, arguing that California is blocking enforcement efforts by the Department of Homeland Security and imposing other impermissible obligations on the federal government.

In response, California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown issued a statement Tuesday night, calling the federal lawsuit "sad" and a political stunt, National Public Radio reported.

California lawmakers passed three immigration-related laws last year. One of them bars private employers from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration officials and requires businesses to notify workers before a federal raid.

The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Sacramento, California, is seen as an escalation of the long-running battle between the Trump administration and California on matters ranging from immigration and climate change to criminal justice, local analysts say.