Prince Harry's US Visa Was In Jeopardy After He Confessed To Drug Use
Prince Harry's U.S. visa has been in jeopardy for a while now, after he admitted to using drugs like cocaine, marijuana, and magic mushrooms in his bombshell memoir Spare. This is in line with U.S. immigration laws, as people who have admitted to drug use have been kicked out of the country or even denied entry in the first place.
If you recall, Prince Harry seamlessly acquired a visa when he moved from the United Kingdom to the United States in 2020. And while most people didn't give this a second thought, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has made it their mission to have Prince Harry's private visa documents released to the public in order to uncover if there was false information or preferential treatment involved with Harry's visa.
Now this is back in court, could he actually be deported? Could Prince Harry and Meghan have no choice but to restart their life in the U.K.? Let's remind ourselves what's been happening…
Visa Lawsuit Against Prince Harry Is Reopened
The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C. based think tank whose mission is "to build and promote conservative public policies," according to their website," seems to have a bone to pick with Prince Harry.
In 2024, they filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, demanding that Prince Harry's visa documents be published publicly.
The think tank published a statement in Newsweek. "Prince Harry repeatedly admitted to using illegal drugs in his memoir," Kyle Brosnan, chief counsel, said. "This fact alone makes him inadmissible into the United States. We sued to get answers to a simple question of whether the government gave Prince Harry preferential treatment when he entered the country."
However, in September, the court case was terminated, but now that Trump is officially president again, the Heritage Foundation seems to think they have a better shot.
Could Prince Harry's Immigration Documents Finally Be Published?
At a hearing in Washington DC on February 5th, Judge Carl J. Nichols revealed that he may be willing to release Prince Harry's immigration documents, saying that he wants "maximum disclosure as long as it doesn't violate privacy."
"I'm not foreclosing the possibility that there might be some possible relief," he added, referring to the release of at least some documents from the visa application. However, he requested that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offer some suggestions for redactions or "continued withholdings." This prompted an attorney for the U.S. government, John Bardo, to comment that any released documents would be a "shell" after a redaction process.
The Heritage Foundation believes that Prince Harry must've lied on his visa application when asked if he has a history of drug use, because he admitted in his memoir, Spare, that he had tried mushrooms, cocaine, and marijuana. Lying on a visa application is grounds for deportation.
Donald Trump Suggests He Won't Deport Prince Harry After Previously Saying He 'Wouldn't Protect' Him
Trump has had some conflicting thoughts on the matter. One year ago, Trump once again made his feelings about Prince Harry and Meghan clear during a political conference, when he reportedly claimed that he thought the Biden administration had been "too gracious" to Prince Harry since he and Meghan moved to California.
His feelings were reportedly due to his high opinion of the late Queen Elizabeth II, as he allegedly didn't think too highly of the Sussexes after their "fierce, vengeful attacks" on the royal family. He reportedly previously told The Express: "I wouldn't protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That's unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me."
However, he has seemingly now had a change of opinion, and *doesn't* think that Prince Harry should be deported. When asked if he would actually deport Prince Harry, Trump suggested that he wouldn't, in a comment which doubled up as a dig at the American Riviera Orchard founder.
He told the New York Post: "I don't want to do that. I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible." Yikes!