Prince Harry's 'GMA' Interview Quotes Brought Into Ongoing Drug Lawsuit
In an attempt to access Harry's visa records, the conservative Heritage Foundation filed a case against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using the Freedom of Information Act.
The policy institute asserts that the Spare author's previous drug usage ought to have barred him from entry into the United States and therefore he may have been granted preferential treatment or withheld vital information.
The Department of Homeland Security argues that the disclosure of an individual's immigration details violates their right to privacy, and therefore, requests the case to be dismissed.
According to a lawyer for the Biden administration, Harry's memoir, Spare, cannot be considered as conclusive evidence of drug use and may have been embellished solely to generate book sales.
This statement was made during a recent US court hearing (February 24th) that focused on the conservative think tank's attempt to access the former working royal's immigration records.
Heritage's legal representatives previously declared to the court their intention to utilize "a transcript of a February 16, 2024 interview of the Duke of Sussex on ABC's Good Morning America in which the Duke of Sussex discusses potentially seeking United States citizenship," as per a court document reviewed by Newsweek.
When appearing on GMA, Harry notably said: "American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind but isn't something that's a high priority for me right now."
Newsweek has reviewed a previous court filing by DHS which states: "The records are particularly sensitive because releasing them, even in part, would reveal Prince Harry's status in the United States, which Prince Harry has not disclosed." The filing also said: "Specifically, the records would reveal the types of documents that Prince Harry used to travel to the United States, his admission status, and any immigration, or non-immigration, benefits that he may have sought [...] Courts consistently hold that a person's visa or immigration status is private, personal information exempt from disclosure."
Heritage contends that Harry relinquished his entitlement to privacy when he revealed his drug use and aired footage of his trip to the United States on his Netflix series, Harry & Meghan. According to a court document previously viewed by Newsweek:"[The case] comes about in the main because HRH [His Royal Highness] voluntarily—and for immense profit—admitted in writing to the elements of any number of controlled substance violations. (Indeed, some say HRH has approached the point of bragging and encouraging illegal drug use.)"
The filing goes on: "The Duke of Sussex did so despite the fact that it is widely known that such admissions can have adverse immigration consequences for non-citizens and despite employing preeminent legal advisors on both sides of the Atlantic."
Harry's visa records remained undisclosed as the hearing came to an end, awaiting a verdict from a US judge in the following weeks.