Noem was sharply criticized by Democrats for her answers to questions about habeas corpus, which they said she did not define correctly.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem appeared not to know what a key constitutional principle was Tuesday when being questioned about her department’s mass deportations of migrants at a Senate hearing.

During a Senate hearing, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, falsely described habeas corpus as the president’s “constitutional right” to deport people.