The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, has called for U.S. authorities to release Prince Harry's visa application due to concerns that he may have received special treatment despite admitting to illegal drug use.
The 38-year-old Duke of Sussex has openly discussed his drug use in television interviews and his best-selling memoir "Spare." He admitted to consuming cocaine, cannabis, and magic mushrooms-considered illegal in the U.S.-at a party hosted by "Friends" star Courtney Cox in Los Angeles, according to The Telegraph.
In another interview last month, Prince Harry spoke about using ayahuasca, another illegal psychedelic drug, as part of his therapy. The Duke of Sussex told trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté, as reported by The Daily Beast, that using the drug was "one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and the pains of the past."
Now, questions have arisen about whether Prince Harry disclosed his drug use during his visa application process. U.S. immigration laws consider foreign nationals "determined to be a drug abuser or addicts" inadmissible unless immigration officials exercise their discretion to waive the rule.
Unnamed sources close to the Duke stated that he was "truthful" during his visa application, implying that he admitted to drug use and continued doing so after moving to California in 2020 with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, as reported by The Telegraph.
The Heritage Foundation has invoked freedom of information laws to demand the release of Prince Harry's visa application, detailing his drug use, any waiver granted, and the identity of the decision-maker, citing public interest.
Attorney Samuel Dewey, representing the Heritage Foundation, stated that "when there is an adjustment of status, such as an application for a Green Card, there is a requirement for a full medical examination." Dewey added that they simply want to know how Prince Harry was treated in the process.
Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, emphasized the need to know if Prince Harry was "open and transparent" with his application or if he received "particular favors or treated differently from everybody else."
The request has been submitted to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, with a response deadline of April 12. Dewey warned that if the request is denied, the Heritage Foundation will take the matter to court. Gardiner added that "this could potentially build into an issue of congressional interest."
