Former President Donald Trump said Friday that he has no plans to deport Prince Harry, despite ongoing legal efforts to release the royal's U.S. immigration records. In an interview with the New York Post, Trump dismissed the idea of expelling the Duke of Sussex, instead taking aim at Meghan Markle.
"I don't want to do that," Trump said when asked about the possibility of deportation. "I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible."
Prince Harry, who relocated to the United States in 2020 after stepping down from royal duties, is facing scrutiny over whether he disclosed past drug use in his immigration application. The conservative think tank Heritage Foundation has pushed for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release his visa records, arguing that he may have received preferential treatment.
Nile Gardiner, director of the foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, previously said, "I'll be urging the president to release Prince Harry's immigration records, and the president does have that legal authority to do that." Gardiner added that the case is about "the rule of law, transparency, and accountability. No one should be above the law."
U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols indicated this week that he is "likely" to order the release of Prince Harry's immigration files, stating that records should be made public "to the maximum extent possible" without violating privacy laws. The judge's remarks came during a hearing in Washington, D.C., marking the first legal proceedings in the case since Trump returned to office.
During his first term, Trump publicly clashed with the Sussexes, particularly Markle, who had called him "misogynistic" and "divisive" in a 2016 interview. In response, Trump labeled her "nasty" ahead of a 2019 state visit to the U.K. He later criticized Harry in a 2022 interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, saying, Harry was "whipped like no person I have ever seen."
Trump has also accused the Biden administration of shielding Prince Harry from legal scrutiny. In a 2024 interview with the Daily Express, he said, "I wouldn't protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That's unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me."
The legal fight over Prince Harry's visa stems from disclosures he made in his 2023 memoir Spare, in which he admitted to using cocaine, marijuana, and psychedelic drugs. U.S. immigration law can bar entry to individuals who have admitted to illegal drug use, though waivers can be granted at the discretion of immigration officials. The Heritage Foundation's lawsuit argues that Harry either failed to disclose his drug use or was granted special treatment.
Trump's comments on Friday contrast with his earlier stance, where he suggested in an interview with Nigel Farage that the government would have to take "appropriate action" if Prince Harry was found to have misrepresented his past on his visa application.
While Trump dismissed deportation concerns, he expressed admiration for Prince William, calling him "a great young man." The former president met with the Prince of Wales in December 2024 in Paris at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, an event where Markle and Harry were notably absent.
The Biden administration has yet to comment on whether it would comply with a court order to release Harry's records.
