Conservatives sue Biden admin for release of Prince Harry's visa files

Top conservative think tank takes the Biden administration to court for Prince Harry’s immigration records – and demands to know why he’s been allowed to stay in the U.S. when he has admitted using illegal drugs

• The Duke of Sussex confessed to his drug use in his recent book ‘Spare’
• Critics want to know if he received favorable treatment from U.S. officials  
• The Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, launched the legal action earlier on Monday

A top conservative organization is suing the Joe Biden administration to force officials to release Prince Harry’s U.S. immigration files after he admitted using illegal drugs.

The Heritage Foundation wants to know how the Duke of Sussex managed to enter the country after he confessed to taking a variety of substances in the past.

In his controversial memoir ‘Spare’, the 38-year-old estranged member of the British royal family said his drug use included marijuana, cocaine and magic mushrooms.

The duke also experimented with hallucinogenic Amazonian plant ayahuasca, describing it as ‘the cleaning of the windshield, the removal of life’s filters’.  

A Right-wing think-tank is now suing the Department of Homeland Security to force it to release Harry’s visa application 

The Heritage Foundation, a Right-wing think-tank, published the legal complaint earlier on Monday 

Under U.S. law, anyone who admits to past abuse of illegal narcotics is generally denied entry to the country.

Applicants for a visa to live and work in America has to tick a box to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question on past drug use.

It reads: ‘Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?’

Answering yes can result in being denied a U.S. visa, as happened in the case of the late British singer Amy Winehouse.

But an admission of drug use does not automatically ban you from the country for life.

Any denial of entry can be overturned after an in-person interview at a US consulate or official immigration office, where a waiver can be issued.  

The near-1400 page legal complaint complied by Heritage lawyers argues that there is ‘immense public interest’ in learning just how Harry answered that question.

Sources close to the case suggested officials were obstructing the think-tank’s freedom of information request that it made on March 8 of this year. 

‘It is safe to stay that the Biden administration has not been fully cooperative in releasing the information requested,’ one source said.

The U.S. government has 20 business days to respond to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act, except for “unusual circumstances.’

It was denied 24 hours later, prompting the Washington-based Heritage Foundation to appeal. 

There is a history of authorities releasing immigration documents about public figures.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website has an electronic reading room which contains the files of some celebrities.

The records for the late musicians George Michael and John Lennon are online, as well as those for the mother of U.S. vice-president Kamala Harris.

In his recent book, Prince Harry recounted how he lost his virginity in a field behind a pub where an older woman is said to have treated him ‘like a young stallion’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were last seen in the UK together at the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II last September, months before ‘Spare’ was published 

The pair have had a testy relationship with Britain’s tabloid press since stepping back royal duties in the United Kingdom

Nile Gardiner, the director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom at the think-tank said the lawsuit looked to achieve ‘transparency and accountability.’ 

‘There is a very clear US public interest in ensuring Harry did not receive any favorable or preferential treatment by the immigration authorities,’ the former senior aide to the ex-British prime minister said.

‘Any discrepancy between the details provided in his immigration application and the revelations of drug use in Spare would have serious implications for his legal status in the United States.

‘Harry should welcome the release of his immigration application so the public can see what was put in the application,’ he added.

Since arriving in the country in 2020, Harry has struck up friendships with prominent Democratic Party figures such as former president Barack Obama.

He is also close to major Democratic donors including Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry prompting fears that he may become an ‘unwitting pawn in a highly political game’.

DailyMail.com has approached the Department of Homeland Security and a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex for comment. 

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