Could Prince Harry Face Criminal Charges, Be Deported for Hiding His Past Drug Use?

Prince Harry has admitted to using several prohibited substances in the past
The request for information aims to investigate how Prince Harry was permitted to enter the United States
Prince Harry currently resides in the US with Meghan Markle and his children

A royal expert claims that Prince Harry could be in trouble with US immigration if he lied about his past drug use.

In his tell-all memoir 'Spare,' the Duke of Sussex disclosed that he used illegal substances such as magic mushrooms during his "party boy" adolescence. In addition to cannabis, he has acknowledged using the psychedelic substance to help him cope with "past traumas."

Prince Harry Faces Potential Immigration Trouble

This raises the question of whether Prince Harry, who currently resides in the United States with his American wife, Meghan Markle, may need help entering and exiting his new nation of residence. According to royal news and entertainment reporter Kinsey Schofield, this issue will only arise if it comes out that the royal misled US immigration in the past.

It follows a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, DC-based think tank that "stirred the pot." Yet, Prince Harry's condition could be even worse if he does not reveal this knowledge.

Under US law, everyone seeking a visa to live and work in the nation must respond "yes" or "no" to the question "Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?"

An admission of drug use typically results in a denial of entry to the United States. This explains why the Heritage Foundation filed a 127-page Freedom of Information Act request to view Prince Harry's application and determine if he lied. Prince Harry has been encouraged to be "completely honest" over his US visa application or risk being a "political pawn" due to his history of drug abuse.

US immigration authorities have until April 12 to respond to an FOI request filed by a prominent American think-tank. The FOI request seeks to determine how the Duke of Sussex was allowed to enter the United States after openly admitting to using marijuana, cocaine, and magic mushrooms in the past.

Under US law, everyone applying for a visa to live and work in the United States must check a box to indicate whether they are or have ever been a drug abuser or addict, Express reported. However, an admission of drug usage typically results in denial of the entrance, as was the case with chef Nigella Lawson and the late singer Amy Winehouse.

The subject of immigration is anticipated to be one of the primary focal points of the 2024 presidential election, with Republicans criticizing President Joe Biden's lenient border restrictions. It is feared that Prince Harry's associations with significant Democratic Party individuals such as former president Barack Obama and major Democratic fundraisers such as Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry could cause him to become an "unwitting pawn in a very political game."

Prince Harry Drug Misuse

In an exclusive interview with Mail Online, senior lawyer Samuel Dewey of the Heritage Foundation, who filed a 127-page FOI request to see the Duke's application, stated: "It is in the public interest to know how Prince Harry responded to the drug question."

If he has been truthful and forthcoming about his drug usage, and there is no cause to suspect otherwise, he may have checked the 'yes' box, in which case he would need a waiver to be given a visa and admitted to the United States. Hence, he would have been required to do an in-person interview and obtain a waiver. There is a history of the government revealing public figures' immigration records.

The website of US Citizenship and Immigration Services provides an electronic reading room with the immigration files of individuals such as Shyamala Gopalan Harris, the mother of US Vice President Kamala Harris, George Michael, and John Lennon.

Margot Kidder, a Canadian-born Superman actor, and Lynn Redgrave, a British actress, are also among the celebrities whose data are accessible to the public. A prohibition is frequently lifted following an in-person interview at a US consulate or official immigration office, where a waiver may be obtained.

Lawson was denied entry to the United States in 2014 after revealing during a court proceeding that she had used cocaine, despite having previously assured a judge, "I have never been a drug addict."

Prince Harry was reportedly accepted on an 'O' visa granted to individuals with extraordinary talent. Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, Nile Gardiner, stated, "This is a much larger issue than Prince Harry."

It involves implementing immigration rules and ensuring no one is above the law. Prince Harry merely represents the top of the iceberg. Under President Biden, many believe that immigration laws have become slack and are not being enforced adequately. Prince Harry has openly discussed his drug use for commercial and financial advantage to sell books.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry said in his memoir 'Spare' that Prince William was infuriated by articles printed about his drug addiction when the two were young. Per Hindustan Times, Prince Harry stated that an organized attack against his brother had harmed him.

Prince Harry asserted that Prince William's response to the news was that, as members of the royal family, they were bound to face criticism. Prince Harry admitted to consuming cocaine, smoking marijuana, and experimenting with magic mushrooms at a party hosted by actress Courtney Cox.