Court Case Examines Prince Harry's Immigration Records Amid Claims of Dishonesty
A federal judge is deliberating on the next steps in a court case regarding the potential release of documents that may implicate Prince Harry in legal issues concerning his immigration status. The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, is seeking to determine if Prince Harry lied on his immigration paperwork regarding past drug use or if he received special treatment to enter the United States.
The case is presided over by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols and focuses on the circumstances surrounding Prince Harry's entry into the United States when he and his wife, Meghan Markle, relocated to Southern California in 2020. The Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit after the Department of Homeland Security largely rejected its Freedom of Information Act request for Harry's records.
Nile Gardiner, head of the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, asserted, "We believe the American people have a right to know whether Prince Harry was truthful on his application."
The Heritage Foundation contends that there is significant public interest in whether Prince Harry received any preferential treatment during the application process, especially in light of revelations from his 2023 memoir, "Spare," which disclosed his past drug use.
In "Spare," Harry mentioned that he used cocaine on several occasions beginning at age 17 and also acknowledged using cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms. The United States routinely inquires about past drug use on visa applications, a factor that has historically complicated the entry process for several celebrities.
While acknowledgment of past drug use does not automatically bar entry, providing false information can lead to severe consequences, including deportation. Heritage attorney Samuel Dewey explained, "If he lied, that gets you deported," noting that individuals are frequently deported for inaccuracies on immigration forms.
Dewey also suggested that Harry might have been truthful about his drug use and could have received an internal DHS waiver or a diplomatic visa from the State Department. Both scenarios are legal but raise concerns over potential special treatment.
The hearing on Wednesday primarily dealt with managing sworn statements from DHS officials regarding why the agency is contesting the records request. These statements have not been provided to the Heritage legal team, and Judge Nichols is weighing whether to disclose some or all of these declarations. He has reviewed some of Harry's immigration records and is contemplating obtaining additional records from the government.
Judge Nichols aims to find a middle ground between revealing too much content from the DHS statements and rendering the information meaningless through excessive redaction. "There's a point where redactions would leave just a name or a date," he remarked.
Gardiner has also reached out to President Donald Trump, emphasizing that the former president prioritized immigration security during his campaign and urging him to resolve the case by ordering the release of Harry's immigration records.
