WASHINGTON – A redacted version of Prince Harry’s visa documents is set to go public as a judge in the United States has ordered the same.
District Judge Carl Nichols has ordered the Department of Homeland Security to release the documents after receiving a freedom of information (FOI) request by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative US think tank in Washington DC.
The foundation alleges that Prince Harry concealed his past use of drugs, which should have made him ineligible from obtaining a US visa, raising suspicions that a special treatment was meted out to him.
The revelations regarding drugs were made by Duke of Sussex in memoir Spare, where he referred to taking cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms; Harry detailed that he first tried cocaine at the age of 17.
“It wasn’t much fun, and it didn’t make me particularly happy, as it seemed to make everyone around me, but it did make me feel different, and that was the main goal,” he had written.
Interestingly, application forms for US visas specifically ask about current and past drug use and if one admits to usage of drug, it can lead to non-immigrant and immigrant visa being rejected.
Though immigration officers have a final say to make a decision based on multiple factors, the Heritage Foundation alleges that Prince Harry lied about his use of drugs which can lead to a lifetime ban from the United States.
According to court records, the Department of Homeland Security has until the end of Tuesday to comply with the order and release the immigration records though the order has set panic in the department considering the nature of ties with the UK and British Royals.
Interestingly, the same judge had said last year that there was not enough public interest in disclosing Prince Harry’s immigration records; however, the Heritage Foundation contested that ruling and appealed for a review of the judgment.
Prince Harry relocated to the US with his wife Meghan in 2020 after stepping down as a working royal. It is not certain what visa Harry used to enter the country though his wife is a US citizen; Meghan has criticized Trump even labeling him a ‘misogynist’.
It seems that deportation is not on the cards as President Donald Trump has ruled out such a measure in February.
