Dhe influential conservative US think tank Heritage Foundation has asked a court in Washington for Prince Harry’s immigration papers to be handed over. In its lawsuit, filed in a district court on Tuesday, the think tank alleges that Harry publicly admitted to multiple “drug offenses” both in the United States and abroad — and that US law “usually” barred people from entering the United States for such offenses country prohibit.
The background to the hearing is Harry’s statements in his recently published book “Reserve” (in English “Spare”) that he had used illegal drugs on several occasions. The Heritage Foundation ordered a federal judge in the lawsuit to order the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which is responsible for immigration matters, to release the prince’s immigration records.
DHS had twice previously refused to release the documents without Harry’s consent. Judge Carl Nichols has now asked the department to respond to the request by June 13.
The Heritage Foundation is particularly interested in Harry’s questionnaire, which everyone must fill out before immigrating to the United States – which includes questions about drug use, among other things. In its lawsuit, the organization relies on the US Freedom of Information Act. The organization explained, among other things, that there was “great public and media interest” in the case.
Marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic drugs
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, who is a US citizen, relocated to the US in January 2020 after retiring from British royal duties. In his book, which was published in January under the original English title “Spare”, Harry writes that he used marijuana, cocaine and psychedelic drugs, among other things.
The Heritage Foundation pointed out that in recent years, foreign celebrities such as Argentine soccer star Diego Armando Maradona and British pop singer Amy Winehouse have been denied entry to the United States because of past drug use.
Harry himself did not appear in court at the Washington trial. He testified before a London court on Tuesday in a case against the British media group Mirror Group Newspapers over allegations of illegal information gathering. In it, Harry made serious allegations against his country’s tabloid media, which he accused, among other things, of “invading” his life.
