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The U.S. government on Tuesday released court documents and transcripts in a battle over information regarding Prince Harry’s immigration to the U.S. and his admitted drug use, but they were so heavily redacted that they revealed no significant new information.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also redacted or held back the entirety of Harry’s immigration records, stating that they were being “withheld in full,” and declaring in a court filing they were “categorically exempt from disclosure,” The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The DHS didn’t even release Harry’s immigration status in the U.S., arguing it could lead to “harm and harassment.”
The far-right Heritage Foundation has accused the Duke of Sussex of concealing past drug use when he applied for a visa to live in the United States, claimed that he was given special treatment moving to the U.S., and filed to have his immigration documents released , arguing that they were of “intense interest to the public.”
The Heritage Foundation has pointed to comments Harry made in his 2023 memoir Spare discussing his past drug use. In the book, Harry described using cocaine — which he said “wasn’t much fun,” and said that using marijuana helped him mentally.
Shortly after the book was published, the Heritage Foundation issued a Freedom of Information Act request for immigration and other documents.
Harry currently lives in southern California with his wife, Meghan Markle, the duchess of Sussex, and their two children. The couple dropped their royal duties and moved to the U.S. in 2020.
A Washington, D.C. district court approved the records request that involved more than 80 pages of court filings and transcripts that involved the legal battle for access. More than half of the material was blacked out, The Times of London reported.
As for the immigration files, Homeland Security officials said in its filing that The Heritage Foundation had not established that the public interest outweighed Harry’s right to privacy. DHS also insisted Harry received no special treatment when moving to the U.S.
“Plaintiffs allege that the records should be disclosed as public confidence in the government would suffer or to establish whether the Duke was granted preferential treatment. This speculation by plaintiffs does not point to any evidence of government misconduct,” wrote Jarrod Panter, an official in the DHS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, AP reported.
When applying to live in the U.S. on a visa, applicants must disclose their current and past drug usage. Admission of using drugs can be grounds for a rejection, but it’s ultimately up to immigration officers, who base their decisions on a number of factors, noted.CBS News.
If someone is caught lying on their application, they can be banned from the entering the U.S. for life.
Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation wrote in a blog post last year: “Harry has publicly admitted to extensive illegal drug use. What do we submit this means? That Harry seems to have received special treatment.”
The “DHS looked the other way if the Prince answered truthfully, or it looked the other way if the Prince lied on his visa application. Either action would be wrong,” he added.
Neither Prince Harry nor The Heritage Foundation could immediately be reached for comment.
President Donald Trump, who has often appeared awed by the British Royal Family, said last month he would not deport Harry, though he has been harshly critical of Meghan Markle.
“I’ll leave him alone,” he reportedly said. “He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
