Prince Harry has garnered renewed support from the US Government. A recent document indicates that the Biden administration strongly contends his immigration records should remain confidential.
A document reviewed by Newsweek indicated that the U.S. government asserts any "speculation of impropriety" regarding Prince Harry's previous drug use is baseless.
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think organization, has scrutinized the Department of Homeland Security's decision to issue Prince Harry a U.S. visa following his admission of illegal drug use in his memoir, Spare.
It initiated legal action against the U.S. government to compel the department to disclose Prince Harry's visa information to ascertain whether he had falsified his official documentation. A history of drug usage typically disqualifies an applicant from obtaining residence.
Prince Harry disclosed in his explosive memoir, "Spare," that he had consumed "psychedelics" and substances like cocaine, as per CNET.
Heritage lost the lawsuit because the judge determined that his documents must stay confidential. Nevertheless, the think tank is endeavoring to reverse the verdict.
The Biden administration has responded to the recent issue and seems to have reaffirmed its approach regarding Prince Harry's relocation to the U.S.
"The evidence before the Court plainly sufficed to show that [Heritage's] speculation of impropriety was unfounded," a government court filing read.
Judge Carl J. Nichols privately examined Prince Harry's immigration records without disclosing their contents before concluding the case in September.
"Following in camera review of certain records and associated declarations, the Court agrees that the Duke's privacy interest outweighs any public interest, and therefore grants Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment," the court ruling furthered.
Nonetheless, the executive director of the research tank's supervision project told Newsweek at the time that the case appeared "more suspicious."
"While our case is far from over as we explore appeal, I'd say that these very curious redactions point to something serious afoot," Mike Howell said.
Attorneys for the Biden Administration stated in their recent submission that the public disclosures offered the utmost information regarding the documents while safeguarding non-public details about the Duke of Sussex's immigration status, any immigration benefits he pursued, or any negative actions he faced, BBC reported.
They asserted that Heritage's alleged evidence of governmental misconduct constituted only a "bare suspicion" of impropriety, inadequate to supersede the Duke's privacy rights.
The brief indicated that instead of accepting these assertions at face value, the Court requested more declarations and other documents that provided information regarding the Duke's immigration status and arrival into the United States.
The Court found no evidence of governmental misconduct based on these facts. The Plaintiffs conceded that if the records indicate that the anticipated wrongdoing did not transpire, the lawsuit would conclude immediately.
Prince Harry's case caught the attention of many, and netizens could not help but express their thoughts online. “Privacy laws should apply to everyone, including Prince Harry. Enough with the conspiracy theories," an X user claimed.
“If Harry lied on his application, it’s a breach of the law. Transparency matters," a second source stated. "The Biden administration’s secrecy on this issue is troubling. What are they hiding?” another netizen responded.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Harry and President Joe Biden's camps for comments.
