(ReliableNews.org) – In his memoir “Spare,” Prince Harry discussed his prior use of drugs. After the book’s release, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sued the US government to get ahold of the prince’s visa application. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has complied with the request to hand the documents over to a judge.
The Heritage Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain Prince Harry’s immigration papers. The conservative organization wants to know if the prince was honest on his paperwork and admitted to using marijuana, cocaine, ayahuasca, and mushrooms, drugs he admitted to taking in his book. The think tank has argued it has a right to see whether the government gave the royal special treatment on his application, whereas many immigrants suffer adverse outcomes when they disclose drug use.
DHS objected to the request. The department maintains the prince’s application and immigration information cannot be released to the public. According to Newsweek, the federal agency stated, “Courts consistently hold that a person’s visa or immigration status is private, personal information exempt from disclosure.” They also argued disclosing that information would reveal what documents Harry used when he traveled to America and other sensitive information.
On March 7, Judge Carl Nichols issued an order authorizing DHS to send him the immigration documents so he could review them privately. He said that would help him decide whether the federal agency has the right to refuse to publicly release the information.
DHS complied with the judge’s request and sent him an encrypted file containing the documents related to the prince’s visa. The judge will now review the information and make a decision in the coming weeks and months.
US immigration law does not prohibit people who have previously used drugs from entering the country or obtaining permanent residency. However, current drug users or addicts can be found inadmissible. Immigrants who are in remission are allowed to reapply and can gain entry.
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