Prince Harry (38) revealed in his memoirs “Reserve” (Original: “Spare”) and in various television interviews that he had taken cocaine, cannabis and magic mushrooms in the past. This has now called immigration specialists into action.
They are demanding that the Duke of Sussex publish his US visa application. They want to check whether he stated his drug use in it before he emigrated to California in 2020 with his American wife Duchess Meghan (41) and their son Prince Archie (3), who was born in London. US immigration law provides for harsh penalties for lying to immigration officials, including deportation and disqualification from citizenship applications, Mail Online reports.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told the New York Post on Wednesday: “Admission to drug use is usually a ground for inadmissibility. That means Prince Harry’s visa should have been denied or revoked because he admitted using cocaine, mushrooms and taking other drugs.” And the president of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers added that there was “no exemption for royal or recreational use.”
Texas immigration attorney Sam Adair said it’s “unlikely these admissions will be a problem” because there have been no criminal convictions. Attorney James Leonard also told the publication that a revelation in a book that “you experimented with drugs as a young man” would not be enough for immigration officials to launch an investigation into Harry’s status.
It is not known exactly what questions Prince Harry was asked when applying for his US visa, as it is not yet clear which visa he received. However, the relevant question in the ESTA application, which most UK tourists use, is “Have you ever broken any law affecting the possession, use or distribution of illegal drugs?” A “yes” usually leads to the rejection of the application.
As the British newspaper further reports, Harry and his team want to prevent the disclosure of his application documents.
