A federal judge has given the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a one-week deadline to decide what to do about Prince Harry’s immigration records request.
The Heritage Foundation has invoked the Freedom of Information Act to obtain Prince Harry’s visa application, claiming that in his memoir he admits to past drug use.
The group questions whether immigration officials properly granted his application, since disclosure of drug use can be grounds for visa denial.
Will Prince Harry’s visa be reviewed?
During a hearing Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Judge Carl Nichols gave DHS until June 13 to decide whether to expedite the release of the records in response to the request.
While several department agencies, including the U.S. Border Patrol, have denied Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, DHS headquarters has yet to rule.
DHS has alleged in court filings that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency initially denied the Heritage Foundation’s requests due to Prince Harry’s lack of authorization or consent to release the confidential information.
DHS attorney John Bardo emphasized the privacy and confidentiality of an individual’s visa during the court session.
What do the Heritage Foundation’s lawyers say?
In response to privacy concerns, Samuel Dewey, an attorney for the Heritage Foundation, argued that Prince Harry’s public statements about his past drug use significantly diminish his privacy rights in this matter.
According to Dewey, Prince Harry has voluntarily disclosed his drug use and profited from it in his memoirs.
Prince Harry is in London
While this was going on in the United States, Prince Harry was testifying in a London court against the Mirror Group Newspapers, alleging the use of illegal methods in their reporting, including phone hacking.
It was the first time in more than a century that a member of the British royal family has testified in court.