A legal battle is brewing between the U.S. government and the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, over the release of Prince Harry's visa application details, following his self-disclosed past drug use. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been slated to appear in a DC federal court on June 6.
In a quest for transparency, the Heritage Foundation recently filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act, pressuring DHS to disclose the Duke of Sussex's immigration records. The organization claims the information holds significant public interest.
However, the U.S. government has yet to accede to requests to unveil the 38-year-old royal's visa application details.
Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, took to Twitter to inform that the hearing would be open to the press. Gardiner views the upcoming hearing - likely the first in a series - as a "very significant development," adding, "It significantly raises the stakes here."
U.S. immigration law requires foreign nationals applying for a U.S. visa or permanent residency to divulge any past drug usage. An applicant labeled as a "drug abuser" is typically deemed "inadmissible," with certain exceptions granted by immigration officials.
Prince Harry has been transparent about his past drug use, detailing his experiences with cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms in his widely successful memoir, "Spare," and in subsequent television interviews promoting the book.
The Heritage Foundation's lawsuit states, "Widespread and continuous media coverage has surfaced the question of whether DHS properly admitted the Duke of Sussex in light of the fact that he has publicly admitted to the essential elements of a number of drug offenses in both the United States and abroad."
The organization further suggests that Prince Harry's U.S. immigration status should be reassessed considering the admissions in his memoir.
Prince Harry, alongside his wife Meghan Markle, moved to the U.S. in March 2020 and purchased a property in Southern California, following their decision to step back as active members of the British royal family.
Insiders close to Prince Harry have insisted that he answered all questions honestly while applying for a U.S. visa.
The Heritage Foundation insists that the public deserves to know what Prince Harry disclosed in his application and how the Biden administration handled it, posing the question: "Did DHS in fact look the other way, play favorites, or fail to appropriately respond to any potential false statements by Prince Harry?"
