An American judge has ordered the release of Prince Harry’s immigration files amid longstanding questions over whether he lied on his visa application to the United States about past drug use.
Prince Harry’s status in the U.S. may be in jeopardy as Judge Carl Nichols ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must release at least a redacted version of the Duke of Sussex’s visa application by Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported.
The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank had sued the DHS under the Biden administration after it had rejected a Freedom of Information request to publicly reveal the prince’s immigration files.
Heritage argued that it was in the public interest to know whether Harry had lied about his past drug use in order to gain entry to the U.S. after he abandoned his Royal duties in Britain in favour of money-making ventures with his wife in Hollywood.
Although having used illicit drugs in the past does not necessarily preclude one from gaining a visa to the United States, lying on a visa application can result in its termination.
In his ruling, Judge Nichols said: “The government has provided the court with its proposed redactions to the documents…those redactions appearing appropriate, the government is ORDERED to lodge on the docket the redacted versions of those documents no later than March 18, 2025.”
It remains to be seen if the redactions will include the section in which Harry was asked if he had ever taken illegal drugs.
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