Prince Harry’s is facing a legal battle to avoid deportation from the United States after he was caught lying about his history of illicit drug use as legal experts warn there is no exception for royalty in US law.
The Duke of Sussex admitted his past use of cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms in his memoir Spare and during TV interviews, which would be enough to have any non-royal person banned from entering the US.
There are now calls for the release of Harry’s US visa application to verify whether he disclosed his drug use before moving to California with Meghan Markle in 2020.
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A conservative think-tank is currently in a battle with Washington DC officials who are refusing to disclose any details, including texts or emails. The Heritage Foundation, based in DC, is advocating for the release of Prince Harry’s visa application to provide transparency to American taxpayers about whether he declared his drug use.
US immigration law imposes severe penalties for providing false information to immigration officials, including deportation and disqualification from citizenship applications.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani stated to Page Six that an admission of drug use typically results in inadmissibility.
“That means Prince Harry’s visa should have been denied or revoked because he admitted to using cocaine, mushrooms and other drugs,” she said.
Mr Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers which is based in Los Angeles, added that there was ‘no exception for royalty or recreational use’.
It is unclear what specific questions Prince Harry was asked during his US visa application process, as the type of visa he received has not been disclosed. However, the ESTA application used by most UK tourists includes a question regarding any violation of laws related to the possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs.
In his memoir and subsequent television interviews, Harry acknowledged using cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms. He stated that marijuana and psychedelics were helpful in dealing with his trauma, while cocaine was more for social purposes.
The Heritage Foundation is now demanding the release of Harry’s visa application. Mike Howell, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, argued that the public has a right to know about potential revocations of Harry’s visa due to drug use, as well as any concerns over the prince’s vetting process before entering the United States.
Experts have stated that US visa applications typically get rejected if there is a history of drug use. The Heritage Foundation has raised questions about whether Harry received special treatment as a prince, with his wife being a TV star, which they claim would be illegal if true.
