U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he has no plans of deporting Prince Harry despite the ongoing legal dispute regarding his immigration status—while also taking a jab at Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle. Prince Harry’s residency in the U.S. is under scrutiny due to a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., led by the Heritage Foundation.
The organization claims that Harry may have failed to disclose past drug use, which could have rendered him ineligible for a U.S. visa. However, speaking to The New York Post on Friday, Trump made it clear that he has no plans to remove Harry from the country, and there are many reasons behind it.
Trump Spares Harry
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“I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.” In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry openly admitted to using cocaine multiple times during his teenage years and experimenting with cannabis and psychedelic mushrooms.
The Heritage Foundation cited these admissions in its legal challenge against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking the release of Harry’s visa records.
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The organization has implied that former President Joe Biden may have granted Prince Harry special treatment when he moved to California following “Megxit”—the term used to describe Harry and Meghan’s complete departure from royal duties.
Previously, the think tank tried to obtain Harry’s visa documents through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but the agency said that it required the Duke of Sussex’s consent to disclose them.
Trump’s stance appears to have shifted, as he had previously hinted in March that deporting Prince Harry was a possibility.
Speaking to GB News at the time, he stated, “We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
According to the U.S. Department of State, people with drug-related convictions may be deemed ineligible for a visa.
The Heritage Foundation initially sought access to Prince Harry’s immigration records through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests before taking legal action against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, Harry himself is not involved in the lawsuit.
No One in a ‘Harry’ Now
This week, Judge Carl Nichols instructed the DHS to specify what portions of Harry’s visa records could be redacted, a move widely seen as a sign that some of the documents may be released, at least in part.
Earlier, on September 9, Judge Nichols had ruled that these confidential records should remain private. Details about Harry’s U.S. immigration status remain unclear, including whether he holds a standard visa, a diplomatic visa, or a green card indicating permanent residency.
In February 2023, the Duke of Sussex said that he had “considered” applying for U.S. citizenship. When asked on Good Morning America what was holding him back, he replied, “I have no idea. It’s a thought that has crossed my mind, but it’s not a high priority for me right now.”
Two months later, Harry suggested he is “usually resident” in the U.S. This classification appeared in a business filing with the U.K.’s Companies House for Travalyst Ltd, a British company in which he holds a 75 percent stake. Travalyst provides sustainability guidance to travel brands.
