Trump Pressured to Release Prince Harry’s Immigration File

A leading conservative group is urging President Trump to release Prince Harry’s immigration file after allegations that the Duke of Sussex may have lied about past drug use when entering the United States.

The issue of Harry’s immigration status has already sparked legal controversy, and Trump, now 78, has vowed on the campaign trail to take action if any false information was submitted on official forms. The controversy follows revelations from Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare, where he confessed to using cocaine, cannabis, and psychedelic mushrooms.

Visa and green card applicants are generally required to disclose any past drug use, with serious consequences for omissions or false statements, including possible removal from the U.S. However, a federal judge ruled last year that the prince’s immigration papers should remain sealed.

Now, lawyers and scholars at the Heritage Foundation are calling on President Trump to override the court’s decision and release the documents. Nile Gardiner, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, argued that transparency is critical.

“I’ll be urging the president to release Prince Harry’s immigration records. The president does have the legal authority to do that,” Gardiner said. “This is about the rule of law and accountability. No one, not even Prince Harry, should be above the law.”

Gardiner also emphasized that under Trump’s leadership, the U.S. has been enforcing strict border control policies. “Prince Harry needs to be held accountable for his admitted illegal drug use,” he said. “My expectation is that action will be taken.”

The Heritage Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in February, seeking Harry’s visa documents to determine whether he misrepresented his drug use history.

In Spare, the 40-year-old prince openly admits to trying cocaine at 17, saying he used the drug to “feel different” following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. “At someone’s house, during a hunting weekend, I was offered a line, and since then I had consumed some more,” Harry revealed.

In March 2024, Trump said he would “have to see” whether the DHS was aware of Harry’s drug use, adding that if the agency was not informed, appropriate action would be taken. “If they know something about the drugs, and if he lied, they’ll have to take appropriate action,” Trump said.

However, in September 2024, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled in favor of DHS, stating that there was insufficient public interest to override Harry’s privacy rights and release his immigration records.

Despite this, Heritage Foundation lawyer Samuel Dewey filed another motion in October, arguing that releasing Harry’s file would offer transparency into how the Department of Homeland Security operates and exercises discretion.

“The Biden administration went to great lengths to prevent the release of Harry’s records,” Gardiner added. “It raises the question: Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle receive special treatment due to their liberal political advocacy?”

In 2023, Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation made a $250,000 donation to a nonprofit run by President Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden. Gardiner suggested the prince’s political donations should be further scrutinized, asking, “Where is the money going, and who are they supporting?”

Some former immigration officials have cast doubt on whether Harry’s alleged drug use would jeopardize his stay in the U.S., noting that applicants often aren’t directly asked about past drug use, and any omissions could be addressed through a waiver.

Representatives for the White House and DHS have yet to respond to requests for comment.