This week, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem got in front of Congress and claimed that the writ of habeas corpus was the right of the President to deport people.

Huh?! Noem’s definition is almost the exact opposite of the actual definition. The writ of habeas corpus is the foundation of due process going all the way back to the Magna Carta, one of the earliest forms of law aimed at constraining tyrants. This right guarantees that a person who has been detained must be presented with the charges against them and given the opportunity to defend themselves in front of an impartial judge — a right that in fact protects people from unlawful detention or removal.

Senator Maggie Hassan was quick to correct Noem, pointing out that without habeas corpus, our government “could simply arrest people, including American citizens, and hold them indefinitely for no reason.”

But that’s exactly what Trump and Noem want to do.

In her attempt to define habeas corpus, she was actually trying to argue that Trump has the right to suspend it. That has never been done outside a time of war or invasion, and the constitution says it’s up to Congress, not the President.

Kristi Noem is not the right person to thoughtfully safeguard our most valued American rights. Government officials shouldn’t be able to get away with such a dangerous misunderstanding of our constitution.

Add your name and tell Kristi Noem to resign now!