Mystery remains after Harry’s US visa papers released
The US government has released documents related to a court battle over Prince Harry’s 2020 visa application.
But it redacted large portions, saying it had a duty to protect the former senior British royal’s privacy and there was no evidence he received special treatment.
The release follows a Freedom of Information Act request by conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation.
It argued the public had a right to know if the Duke of Sussex disclosed his prior drug use on his application. Harry, the younger son of the King, detailed his use of cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in his bombshell memoir, Spare, which was released in January 2023.
Application forms for US visas specifically ask about current and past drug use.
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Admissions of drug use can lead to the rejection of a visa application, although immigration officers have the discretion to make a final decision.
Following a judge’s ruling earlier this week, more than 80 pages of court filings and transcripts were released on Tuesday (US time).
But large sections were blacked out.
US immigration officials said the Heritage Foundation had not established that the public interest outweighed Harry’s right to privacy.
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“Plaintiffs allege that the records should be disclosed as public confidence in the government would suffer or to establish whether the duke was granted preferential treatment,” wrote Jarrod Panter, an official in the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the Department of Homeland Security.
“This speculation by plaintiffs does not point to any evidence of government misconduct.”
Heritage Foundation spokesman Sam Dewey said he believed that not all relevant papers had been produced. Dewey told the BBC he was “frustrated” and that this is “not the end of the road”.
“We may well have another lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security,” he said.
Dewey accuses Harry of privilege, alleging he has benefited from his “wealth and status” by being allowed to live in the US.
Harry and his American wife Meghan Markle quit their royal duties in Britain and moved to the US in 2020. They live in California with their two young children, Archie and Lilibet.
A representative for Harry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
– with AAP
