US officials ‘must hand over’ Prince Harry’s immigration papers to judge so he can decide whether to make them public
A US judge has asked one of America's most senior government departments to hand over Prince Harry’s immigration papers.
The Duke is fighting to stop the publication of the documents after concerns were raised over his visa application.
The case was brought by a think tank after Harry claimed in his memoir Spare he took coke, weed and magic mushrooms.
The Heritage Foundation argue that releasing the documents will prove if Harry lied about his drug use on his visa application.
They say this could be a breach of US federal law and could bar the Duke, 39, from the States.
Lawyers for the US government have argued Harry's drug claims in the explosive book "is not proof" he actually took them.
Judge Carl Nichols today told the Department for Homeland Security its arguments so far were "insufficiently detailed" for him to make a decision on releasing the papers.
He asked the agency, which oversees immigration, to explain the "particular harm" that would arise from the disclosure of the Duke of Sussex’s visa application.
The Heritage Foundation's lawyer Samuel Dewey has accused the US government of "providing special treatment to celebrities" to enter the US.
The conservative think tank say it is within the public interest to release Harry's visa application.
Lawyers for the Biden administration rejected the allegation of special treatment and say releasing such documents could breach Harry's privacy.