Prince Harry's court files at ‘risk’ of public release with Trump’s controversial DHS pick

The Foundation demands transparency after Harry admitted past drug use, raising questions about his visa row amid Biden's opposition to releasing his records.

Prince Harry's immigration records could face public scrutiny as Donald Trump's pick for Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, is set to take over the office in a few days. Known for her hardline views on immigration, Noem’s nomination has sparked the chatter about whether the Duke of Sussex’s records might be made public. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has been pushing for transparency ever since Harry admitted to past drug use in his memoir Spare.

Trump picks South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary, CNN reports

Kristi Noem’s DHS ‘could launch review’ of Prince Harry’s court case

So far, the Biden administration has strongly opposed releasing Prince Harry’s immigration records, citing privacy concerns. However, Team Trump made it clear well before the election that no special treatment for the estranged royal would be on the table if they returned to the White House. Nile Gardiner from the Heritage Foundation believes Americans deserve transparency, especially on whether Harry was upfront about his drug use in his visa application—something he admitted to in his memoir, which also took sharp aim at the royal family, someone whom Trump openly admires.

“This is about fairness and enforcing immigration laws,” Gardiner said, adding that the Biden administration’s refusal only raises more questions about what they might be trying to hide. Regarding Noem’s appointment, Gardiner told GB News, "Because you have an entirely new administration, they may take an entirely different approach to this issue. We called for the release of Prince Harry’s immigration records by the Biden administration.

"So this new administration could decide to release the records and make them public. The President could decide to do that,” he continued before adding Noem’s DHS “could launch a review of Harry's immigration records.

The Heritage Foundation director argued that the new administration should release Prince Harry’s immigration records, stressing that the decision ultimately lies with the President. He emphasised, "It's in the interest of openness and transparency and the full enforcement of US immigration law that the American people get to see Harry’s immigration records." Gardiner questioned the Biden administration's opposition, saying, “The Biden administration went to the ends of the earth to try and stop the release of Harry’s records. Why is that? What are they hiding?”

Gardiner expressed hope that the incoming administration would take a different approach, asserting, "I think there’s a good chance that might happen actually," signaling that the records could eventually be made public.

Trump ‘likely’ to help Harry?

Contrary to popular belief, there are speculations about whether Trump might offer some help to Harry, especially after his wife Melania Trump's mother's immigration records were pushed for release by the same think tank that targeted Harry's documents, leaving the incoming first lady upset and angry. According to Trump's immigration lawyer, Michael Wildes, the First Lady's concerns over potential security risks “have grown more intense.” A former royal correspondent speculates that Trump could reconsider his previous threats against Harry.

According to Jennie Bond who spoke to OK!"Trump often says one thing and does the opposite.” She continued, “I understand that Trump himself is in dispute with the Heritage Foundation because it forced the release of immigration records concerning Melania's late mother.”

She mentioned that Trump is not exactly a fan of the group and might step away from supporting the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to expose Prince Harry's visa details. While the group’s push aligns with Trump’s views on transparency, their past actions—such as publishing immigration records of Melania Trump’s late mother, Amalija Knavs—reportedly caused tension, potentially influencing Trump’s stance on the issue.