British royal family news reveals that US lawyers are working hard to keep Prince Harry’s visa application private. Sources say that “law enforcement” documents related to the application would harm Prince Harry’s reputation if they were made public.
This raises the question: why is Prince Harry’s alleged criminality treated differently than anyone else’s? The Daily Mail reports that this issue is discussed in a 53-page court transcript that was supposed to be released last night.
In February, a think-tank argued that Americans have the right to know who is in their country, potentially illegally. They questioned Prince Harry’s March 2020 visa application because of his admitted drug use. According to the rules, anyone entering the US cannot lie on their visa application, and the public has the right to know if Prince Harry lied about his drug habits.
Lawyers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are pushing for Harry’s visa documents to remain confidential, which seems like clear favoritism. This move damages Harry’s reputation even more and makes his critics dislike him further.
If Prince Harry were wise, he would voluntarily share the information. But instead, he chooses to hide and deflect.
DHS lawyer John Bardo told the judge that Harry’s documents are “law enforcement records.” It would be nice if American lawyers protected US citizens as fiercely as they are protecting a foreigner who might have broken the law. The lawyers stated, “There is a stigma associated with being mentioned in a law enforcement record.” Whose fault is that if not Prince Harry’s?
This is important because it is the first time law enforcement records have been linked to Harry’s visa case. An immigration lawyer from LA pointed out that “law enforcement records” could refer to various agencies like the police, FBI, or even the highway patrol. The word “stigma” is unusual in visa applications and raises questions about what could cause such a mark on Prince Harry’s application.
