Prince Harry in Trump’s crosshairs? Heritage Foundation reopens case on US visa

Conservative think tank calls for publication of Duke of Sussex’s immigration records

Washington, 29 January 2025 – Prince Harry’s immigration visa is back at the centre of controversy. The Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, has reopened the case by demanding the publication of documents relating to the Duke of Sussex’s application to enter the United States. The issue revolves around statements made by Harry himself in his autobiography Spare, in which he admitted to having used marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic mushrooms. According to US law, anyone with a history of drug use must declare it on the visa form and, in case of omission or false declaration, can be deported from the country.

The case will land in court on 5 February, with the first hearing after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has stated in the past that he would not grant any favourable treatment to the second son of King Charles III. ‘I would not protect him. He betrayed the Queen. If he lied, appropriate action will have to be taken,’ Trump had declared in 2024.

The Heritage Foundation argues that the US government may have given Harry special treatment under the Biden administration, allowing him to obtain a visa despite his admissions of drug use. The think tank has already tried unsuccessfully to get the documents released through a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, which was dismissed in September by Federal Judge Carl J. Nichols, who ruled that the documents were confidential.

Now, with the change of administration, the issue is back on the table. On 5 February, in a federal court in Washington, Judge Nichols will hear the parties involved, including the Heritage Foundation’s and Prince Harry’s lawyers. The outcome of the hearing could have important consequences for the Duke of Sussex’s future in the US.

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