Prince Harry is once again facing deportation possibility as a US court has ruled that his immigration files be disclosed by Tuesday, March 18. And at the heart of the issue is his own admission of past drug use in his memoir Spare, where he openly spoke about experimenting with cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms.
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What has the judge ordered?
As per court documents dated March 15, Judge Carl Nichols’ ruling has pushed the Department of Homeland Security to release redacted versions of the files following The Heritage Foundation’s freedom of information (FOI) request.
The conservative Heritage Foundation, a US think-tank, initiated the FOI request. It suggested that the duke potentially omitted previous drug use which could have affected his visa eligibility. Court documents dated 15 March show Judge Nichols instructed the US Department of Homeland Security to provide a redacted version by Tuesday, as reported by Sky News. Despite the same judge ruling in September last year that public interest in Harry’s immigration records was not substantial, the judge has now revised his position.
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The Heritage Foundation pursued this reversal, challenging Prince Harry’s 2020 U.S. entry after he admitted to using cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic mushrooms in his memoir, Spare. In the book, Harry stated, “Cocaine didn’t do anything for me,” but noted, “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.”
The foundation argued that his visa application responses regarding past drug use could raise questions about government procedures. In February, the Department of Homeland Security’s lawyers agreed to release redacted documents after initially denying the FOIA request. Department lawyer John Bardo stated in court filings that they would withhold certain information as permitted by the court.
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What Trump had said about Prince Harry
The latest development also comes after President Donald Trump intervened, ruling out Prince Harry being deported from the US. Trump had stated to The New York Post in February that he wouldn’t deport Harry, saying: “I’ll leave him alone.”
“I’ll leave him alone.” He further took a jab at his wife Meghan saying, “He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.” The Duchess of Sussex has openly criticised Trump, describing him as “divisive” and a “misogynist”.
However, in a March 2023 GB News interview with Nigel Farage, Trump (former president at the time) opposed special treatment for Harry, stating, “No. We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
Harry relocated to the US in 2020 with Meghan after briefly residing in Canada, following their departure from the Royal Family. They have since established their home in California with thier two children.
