Documents pertaining to Prince Harry’s immigration history were made public on Tuesday, offering a clearer picture of how the British royal was allowed to settle in the U.S.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released court declarations from agents involved in Prince Harry’s immigration case, along with a transcript from a closed-door hearing regarding a lawsuit filed by the Heritage Foundation. Despite the documents being heavily redacted, one expert suggested that Prince Harry may have misrepresented his application.
Heritage Foundation lawyer Samuel Dewey, in a report for the New York Post, pointed to the significant references to the U.S. State Department in the documents, which, according to him, outline a “pretty clear picture” of how Harry navigated the U.S. immigration process.
Although Prince Harry’s actual immigration records remain sealed and the documents provided were heavily redacted, Dewey believes that the released information offers several clues about the case, especially after a court-imposed deadline for disclosure on Tuesday.
Dewey speculated that the documents suggest Harry may have failed to disclose his past drug use on what was likely an O-1 visa application, a visa category typically reserved for individuals of “exceptional ability.” If Harry had disclosed his history of drug use, Dewey argued, this information would have been included in the DS-160 form submitted to DHS. If Harry was dishonest, however, this information may have never reached DHS.
Dewey also pointed to the possibility that the State Department and DHS were still withholding crucial information from both the Heritage Foundation and the court. This is reflected in a statement from Judge Carl Nichols during a closed hearing on April 30, 2024, in which he acknowledged that not all of the facts were available to the court. “I have some of the ‘true set of facts’ right now, I don’t have all of them,” the judge said. He also referred to the division of information between DHS and State, suggesting that if all the relevant details were available to DHS, it would be easier to balance public interest with privacy concerns.
The Heritage Foundation’s inquiry began in 2023 when they filed a Freedom of Information Act request, questioning whether Harry had received special treatment in his 2020 U.S. visa application. This came after Harry’s admission in his 2023 memoir, Spare, that he had used drugs in the past, sparking concerns about the truthfulness of his immigration paperwork.
In the memoir, Harry wrote about using cocaine at the age of 17, describing the experience as a way to “feel different” during a hunting trip. The Heritage Foundation has since argued that it is in the public’s interest to see the details of Harry’s immigration records to determine whether he was truthful or received preferential treatment during the visa application process.
Mike Howell, executive director of the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, told the New York Post, “Time for Prince Harry to go home. Every partial answer raises three new questions. We now believe he has committed a felony by lying on an O-1 visa and on form DS-160.” He also criticized the Justice Department and Harry for allegedly conspiring to withhold the truth, accusing them of wasting taxpayer resources. Howell added, “Prince Harry should self-deport now. He can use his royal status to support the Netflix liberal agenda and critique the 2024 U.S. presidential election back in the U.K., funded by their taxpayers.”
