Nicolai Haugsted
Hundreds of Prince Harry documents under review — but key files remain secret.
Fresh developments have emerged in the long-running legal battle over Prince Harry’s U.S. immigration records, with the State Department confirming to Newsweek that a number of documents linked to the Duke of Sussex will remain out of public view.
Court filings show the review of government records is continuing, but officials have already decided to withhold an initial batch of material.
First documents kept confidential
According to a joint status report filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., the State Department identified 18 responsive records during its first release in late July. None of those documents were disclosed.
The filing states:
“The State Department made its first interim production in this case on July 30, 2026, in which it identified 18 responsive records, all withheld in their entirety.”
Officials are also reviewing another 307 documents totaling 2,487 pages as part of the Freedom of Information Act request. Reports indicate none of those records are expected to be released at this stage.
Current case stems from a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records relating to Prince Harry, formally identified in court documents as Henry Charles Albert David.
Earlier litigation focused on obtaining the duke’s visa records after conservative think tank Heritage Foundation argued the public had a right to know whether Harry accurately disclosed his past drug use when applying to enter the United States.
Harry acknowledged using drugs in his memoir Spare, prompting questions over whether his immigration application complied with U.S. requirements.
A federal judge ultimately ruled that Harry’s privacy interests outweighed the public interest in releasing the visa records.
New lawsuit targets additional records
After losing its original case against the Department of Homeland Security, the Heritage Foundation launched a separate lawsuit against the State Department in 2025.
Rather than seeking the visa application itself, the organization requested other government records connected to the Duke of Sussex.
Court documents explain the request concerns records regarding:
“Henry Charles Albert David, also known as ‘the Duke of Sussex’ or ‘Prince Harry.'”
Supporters of the lawsuit argue the documents could clarify whether Harry accurately answered questions about previous drug use during the immigration process and whether he met the requirements for entry into the United States.
Sources close to Prince Harry have consistently maintained that he was truthful on his visa application.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex has been approached for comment.
Multiple court decisions have previously concluded that Harry’s privacy rights outweigh arguments for making his immigration records public, making the full release of his visa documents unlikely.
