The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has complied with a court order to hand over Prince Harry's U.S. visa application to a federal judge for private review, according to a recent court filing reported by Newsweek. The move comes as part of an ongoing legal battle initiated by the conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, which seeks to determine whether the Duke of Sussex lied about his drug use on his immigration application.
The Heritage Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year to obtain Prince Harry's immigration papers, arguing that there is public interest in knowing if the former working royal received special treatment or lied on his application. The think tank's case revolves around the bombshell admissions made by Prince Harry in his tell-all memoir, "Spare," in which he detailed his experiences with cocaine, cannabis, and psychedelic mushrooms.
In a previous court filing, the DHS argued that a person's visa or immigration status is considered private, personal information exempt from disclosure. The department stated, "Specifically, the records would reveal the types of documents that Prince Harry used to travel to the United States, his admission status, and any immigration, or non-immigration, benefits that he may have sought."
However, Judge Carl Nichols, who is overseeing the legal battle, found the DHS's arguments "insufficiently detailed" and ordered the department to submit the records for in camera review by March 21, 2024. The judge requested that the DHS provide "declarations that detail, with particularity, the records it is withholding and the particular harm that would arise from public disclosure of them."
The DHS initially requested an additional two weeks to comply with the order, citing the time-consuming process of searching for and reviewing the records. The department also indicated that other government agencies might need to review the documents before they could be handed over to the judge.
Nile Gardiner, who is spearheading the request for The Heritage Foundation, emphasized the importance of ensuring that no one receives special treatment in the immigration process. "Again, Harry has publicly admitted to extensive illegal drug use," Gardiner wrote recently. "What do we submit this means? That Harry seems to have received special treatment: the DHS looked the other way if the Prince answered truthfully, or it looked the other way if the Prince lied on his visa application. Either action would be wrong."
During a February hearing, government lawyers argued that Prince Harry's memoir does not necessarily prove the veracity of his claims. John Bardo, representing the DHS, told the court, "Just saying something in a book doesn't make it true." He suggested that people sometimes include certain details in books to boost sales.
The Heritage Foundation's lawyers also introduced a transcript of a Good Morning America interview from February 16, 2024, in which Prince Harry discussed potentially seeking U.S. citizenship. The think tank claims that this interview further bolsters their case for the release of his immigration files.
As the legal battle continues, the judge's private review of Prince Harry's U.S. visa application will play a crucial role in determining whether the documents should be made public. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the Duke of Sussex's immigration status and shed light on the DHS's handling of his application in light of his admitted drug use.
