The US President Donald Trump is facing, growing pressure to release Prince Harry‘s immigration file, which has then sparked debates about whether the Duke of Sussex could face deportation from the US. A conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, has urged Trump to make Harry’s records public, following allegations that the Prince may have misrepresented his history of drug use when applying to live in the US.
Could Prince Harry be deported?
The controversy has come from Prince Harry’s admissions in his 2023 memoir, ‘Spare’. In the book, he openly described using drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, and psychedelic mushrooms. These revelations have raised questions about whether he was truthful on his US visa application. Immigration laws in the US require applicants to disclose any history of drug use. If they lie, they could face serious consequences, including deportation.
While campaigning for the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump threatened to act if it was proven that Harry lied on his immigration forms. Speaking in March 2024, as mentioned by the Hindustan Times, he said, “If they know something about the drugs, and if he lied, they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
Legal challenges and transparency
Last year, the Heritage Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking access to Prince Harry’s visa records. They wanted the documents to determine whether he had indeed been truthful about his past use of illegal drugs. However, a federal judge ruled against releasing the records, stating that there was no strong public interest in making them available.
Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, has been vocal about his demands for transparency. He believes that releasing Harry’s immigration file is essential for accountability and upholding the rule of law. “No one should be above the law,” Gardiner told The New York Post. He further said, “Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and you know, Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use.”
In October 2024, Heritage lawyer Samuel Dewey filed another motion to overturn the court’s decision. Dewey argued that making Harry’s immigration records public would allow people to better understand how US immigration officials exercise their discretion.
Is Prince Harry getting special treatment?
It is also a controversy over whether he and his wife, Meghan Markle, have enjoyed special treatment because of their political connections and celebrity status. In 2023, for instance, the Archewell Foundation donated £200,000 to Ashley Biden’s nonprofit organisation focused on supporting women affected by trauma. That donation has caused some critics to wonder if their political activism might have influenced how their immigration status was treated.
Gardiner expressed concerns over this potential preferential treatment and even suggested that Congress should scrutinise how the Sussexes’ foundation operates. “They have with the Archewell Foundation made all sorts of donations… and I think that should be fully scrutinised really,” he said.
If found that Prince Harry lied on his visa application by failing to disclose his drug use, he could face deportation under US immigration laws. According to several reports, legal experts believe there are ways he can avoid this. US immigration authorities in most such cases exercise their discretion and may waive or settle matters as per their judgment.
As of now, Prince Harry continues to live in Montecito, California, with Meghan Markle and their two children– son Archie and daughter Lilibet. For now, all eyes are on whether Prince Harry’s records will be released and what consequences, if any, he might face.
