The executive branch does not define, without limit or constraint, the interests of the state.  The entire US constitution is set up to make any action difficult by requiring alignment by all 3 branches of government.  There is always friction between them and that is by design.  Congress passes legislation, the president vetoes it, then congress over-rides the veto.  Someone takes the new law to the Supreme Court that then rules it illegal.  Those "well-defined functions" result in friction and all of that is by the intent and design of the US constitution.   So if a President signs and executive order (bypassing Congress, a bad precedent set by Obama but now used shamelessly by Trump) and a judge stays it on grounds it is against the law, that is the system.  That is not a conspiracy.  There is no "deep state" except in the minds of some very frustrated Trump supporters.  Trump is not a CEO he is President (and not a wanna-be tyrant).  The rules are different.  apply the rules.