It has been asserted that the legal dispute on whether or not to make Prince Harry's visa for the United States public ought to be reopened because the United States government made specific submissions in secret.
Following the publication of his controversial memoir, "Spare," in which Prince Harry admitted to using marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, filed a lawsuit arguing that the government needed to divulge data concerning the Duke's visa application for the United States to demonstrate whether or not his drug taking was disclosed, The Daily Mail reported.
The organization, which is based in Washington, stated that the "widespread and continuous" coverage of Prince Harry's drug usage raised questions about whether or not the government had "properly vetted" the Prince and followed the appropriate processes when he was allowed to enter the nation. In their argument, the organization stated that the law of the United States "generally renders such a person inadmissible for entry" into the region.
On the other hand, a judge in the United States decided a month ago that Prince Harry's application should be kept confidential, as per BBC. Carl Nichols said that the public is not interested in disclosing the duke's immigration records. He added that, like any foreign national, the duke has a legitimate privacy interest in his immigration status.
Despite this, the dispute may be rekindled because the Heritage Foundation has submitted yet another court file in which it asserts that it was denied access to private representations made to the judge by Vice President Joe Biden's administration.
Not only does the motion, which is thirteen pages long and was submitted on Tuesday, state that the case was "unique" and challenging, but it also states that there is "ample evidence of agency bad faith," which means that this "severely compromises [Heritage's] ability to prepare arguments on appeal."
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initially denied a Freedom of Information request for Duke's records, which led to the Heritage Foundation initiating the case.
Prince Harry has admitted in his explosive memoir, which is being re-released in paperback in the UK today, that cocaine "didn't do anything for me." He also stated, "Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me."
In addition, he describes an encounter with magic mushrooms, stating, "I stared at the bin. It stared back. 'What-staring? ' Then it became... a head. I stepped on the pedal and the head opened its mouth. A huge open grin."
Speaking about his use of hallucinogens during an online chat with trauma expert Gabor Maté, Prince Harry explained: "It was the cleaning of the windscreen, the removal of life's filters — these layers of filters. It removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, relief, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold back for a period of time."
When applying for a visa to enter the United States, applicants are expressly asked about their present and previous drug usage, which can hurt the application process, The Mirror stated. Regular drug use can result in application rejection; nevertheless, immigration authorities have the authority to exercise their discretion about a variety of issues.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Harry for comments.
