The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has rebuffed the Heritage Foundation's plea for the disclosure of Prince Harry's visa records, citing privacy protections. In retaliation, the conservative organization has pledged to escalate the dispute to a legal arena.
Prince Harry's past confessions to substance use in his autobiographical work "Spare," sparked the Heritage Foundation's interest, especially considering an admission of drug use can potentially impede gaining admission to the United States. The group is probing whether these admissions were reported in his visa application.
However, the DHS rejected the appeal on June 14, stating in an email leaked to the New York Post, "To the extent records exist, this office does not find a public interest in disclosure sufficient to override the subject's privacy interests."
According to the DHS, neither confirmation nor denial regarding the existence of pertinent records can be provided. It alluded to "Section 3, pursuant to FOIA Exemptions (b)(6) and (b)(7)(C)" as reasons for non-disclosure. These clauses guard against unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, and the DHS asserted that the individual's privacy outweighs public interest.
Nile Gardiner, head of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, condemned the DHS' response as a "dismal lack of transparency by the Biden Administration." He criticized their "efforts to stonewall" the Freedom of Information request as unacceptable and pledged to challenge the department's stance legally.
Gardiner expressed his readiness for a legal battle, reiterating their commitment to "press for transparency and accountability for the American people."
The request, filed by Mike Howell, director of the Heritage Foundation's Oversight Project, on March 8, targeted records from various agencies including Customs and Border Protection, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the DHS, and the Office of Biometric Identity Management.
These agencies denied the request before a hearing that transpired at Washington's federal courthouse on June 6. The DHS dispatched the denial email a week after a directive from DC federal court Judge Carl Nichols to respond to the request.
The Heritage Foundation is endeavoring to scrutinize if the U.S. government displayed bias in admitting Prince Harry, given his admissions of drug use. They argue the public's right to know if Prince Harry was truthful in his visa application, contending that privacy considerations cease to be valid as the Duke has already breached his own privacy with his public admissions.
Heritage lawyer Samuel Dewey emphasized their demand for access to records "related to this question that has been raised about the drug use and admission," arguing that Prince Harry has forfeited his privacy by discussing his drug use publicly.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, having stepped back from royal duties, relocated from the U.K. to the U.S.A. in 2020. They currently reside in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California, with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
