Prince Harry’s US visa application has been submitted to a judge by Joe Biden’s legal team in compliance with a court order. This follows heightened scrutiny over his immigration status due to a lawsuit from The Heritage Foundation. Newsweek reports this.
The conservative group has requested the immigration documents of the Duke of Sussex under the Freedom of Information Act to determine if he lied about acknowledged banned substances use in his visa application – which could affect his status.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that releasing Harry’s visa documents would breach his privacy, citing legal precedents safeguarding individuals’ immigration information.
The Heritage Foundation argues for public interest, alleging that Harry’s admissions of banned substances use, detailed in his memoir ‘Spare,’ raise concerns about potential falsehoods in his application.
Judge Carl Nichols, overseeing the case, ruled that he should privately review Harry’s documents to assess their suitability for public disclosure.
At its core, the legal dispute centers on the delicate balance between the right to privacy and the public’s interest in verifying the accuracy of Prince Harry’s visa application, especially given his candid admissions in his memoirs.
The outcome of this legal battle carries significant implications for Prince Harry’s visa application status.
Earlier, royal expert Tom Quinn highlighted Harry and Meghan’s concern about the potential consequences of Prince Harry’s visa status being called into question.
Quinn pointed out that Prince Harry, “with his royal privileges,” hadn’t even considered the potential ramifications of his revelations about prohibited substance use for his status in the USA, underscoring the seriousness of the situation he now finds himself in.