Prince Harry was told the case for Donald Trump deporting him “just got a lot more compelling” by a right-wing think tank following a lawsuit over his visa.
The Heritage Foundation sued the Biden administration to try to access Harry’s visa application to determine whether he lied about his past use of drugs.
The prince wrote in his memoir Spare that he had used cannabis, magic mushrooms, ayahuasca and cocaine.
The think tank lost the case after the judge partially redacted a memorandum that suggested Harry’s privacy trumped the public’s right to know.
Heritage’s Oversight Project has suggested that the redactions are “suspicious” and that Trump could deport Harry if he becomes president again.
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Will Donald Trump Deport Prince Harry?
Trump has never said he will deport Harry but certainly allowed speculation that he might after suggesting he could intervene in the dispute.
In a March interview with GB News, Trump was asked about the issue and said: “We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
Asked whether that meant Harry “not staying in America,” he said: “Oh I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me. You just have to tell me. You would have thought they would have known this a long time ago.”
It was interpreted publicly and in the media at the time as a hint Trump might consider revoking Harry’s visa.
That said, a Trump spokesperson told Newsweek: “The Heritage Foundation does not speak for President Trump.”
How Donald Trump Might Approach Revoking Harry’s Visa
Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Newsweek that Trump could theoretically pursue Harry’s deportation, though the prince might also attempt to get around such a move.
“If he wins, Trump can appoint a Secretary of Homeland Security who may initiate removal proceedings against Prince Harry,” Rahmani said. “Admitted drug use is usually enough to keep an immigrant out of the country.
“Prince Harry’s admissions in his book that he used cocaine, mushrooms, or other drugs recreationally would normally be grounds for inadmissibility. There is no requirement that the person actually be convicted of a drug offense.
“Although the DHS doesn’t aggressively enforce this provision absent an arrest or conviction and revoke visas for people already in the United States, that doesn’t mean they can’t.
“If the DHS does act, Prince Harry may be able to get a waiver by arguing his drug use is in remission. Someone is considered in remission after a year of sobriety.
“A waiver request requires a doctor to submit medical documentation. This will be something an immigration judge will have to sort out.”
It has never been publicly revealed what visa Harry has, but it is hypothetically possible that the prince has a diplomatic visa. However, those are ordinarily granted to representatives of Britain, and there is no pretense that Harry is in America on behalf of his country or the monarchy.
“Prince Harry’s visa type isn’t public,” Rahmani said. “It may be a diplomatic visa, but he is no longer an official representative of the British government, so that is less likely. It could be a normal work visa, O-1 extraordinary visa, a tourist visa, spouse visa, or EB-5. The Department of Homeland Security can revoke a diplomatic visa.”
The Heritage Foundation’s Swipe at Harry
Mike Howell, executive director of the Oversight Project, said in a statement to Newsweek earlier this week: “The Prince Harry scandal just got a lot more suspicious. While our case is far from over as we explore appeal, I’d say that these very curious redactions point to something serious afoot.
“President Trump has already suggested that Prince Harry will be deported next year and the case for that just got a lot more compelling.”
“Americans deserve an immigration system with both secure borders and also fairly applied rules for high-profile immigrants like Harry,” Howell’s statement added.
“It certainly appears that Harry was given special treatment and now we know it for something so serious that it involves extensive redactions.
“Americans will know the full story soon enough. Perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Markle will tell us what’s beneath the redactions on their next Netflix special.”
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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