US President Donald Trump said he does not plan to deport Prince Harry from the US amid a legal battle over his immigration status, but took a swipe at his wife Meghan Markle, dariknews.bg reported.
“I don't want to do that. I'll leave him alone. He has enough problems with his wife. She's terrible,” the US president said.
Harry's immigration status is the subject of a lawsuit in Washington. The conservative think tank Heritage Foundation claims he may have covered up illegal drug use, which should have led to his being denied a US visa.
In his memoir “The Spare“ he details how he took cocaine several times as a teenager and experimented with cannabis and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The Heritage Foundation is citing his own admissions in its complaint against the US Department of Homeland Security as it seeks to obtain Harry's visa records.
The think tank previously tried to seek disclosure of Harry's visa documents through US Customs and Border Protection, which said it needed the Duke of Sussex's permission to release them.
They suggest that Trump's predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, provided Harry with preferential treatment when he moved to California after “Megxit“ - when he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties altogether.
Trump appears to have changed his mind, despite suggesting last March that he might deport the Duke.
At the time, he told GB News: “We’re going to have to find out if they knew about the drugs and if they lied, we’re going to have to take action.”
The US State Department says drug convictions can disqualify visa applicants.
Heritage attempted to obtain the information from DHS through Freedom of Information requests before taking its case to court. Harry is not a party to the case.
This week, Judge Carl Nichols asked the US Department of Homeland Security to provide details of the redactions it could make to Harry's visa files, which was interpreted as a strong indication that the documents could be released to some extent.
Previously, on September 9, Judge Nichols ruled that the classified documents must remain confidential.
Harry's immigration status - whether he has a regular or diplomatic visa, or a green card, meaning permanent residence - is unknown.
In February last year, the duke said he was "considering" applying for US citizenship.
Asked on ABC's "Good Morning America" what was stopping him, he replied: "I have no idea. "It's a thought that has crossed my mind, but it's not a priority for me at the moment."
Two months later, the Duke indicated that he was "ordinarily resident" in the US.
The classification was made in a business declaration to the UK's Companies House for the British company Travalyst Ltd, in which he owns 75%. The company advises travel brands on sustainable tourism.
Speaking in court earlier this week, Neil Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation said: “We are urging the Trump administration to release the records and we have called on President Trump to release them“.
“We hope that under the new president there will be full transparency.“
Applicants for a US visa must answer to the US Department of Homeland Security whether they have or have ever “used drugs or are addicted to drugs“ and whether they have ever “violated a controlled substance law“.
If they answer “yes”, they could still be denied. However, it has not been confirmed what type of visa the royal applied for.
Last year, the “Daily Mail“ revealed that Harry may be on an exceptional diplomatic visa, known as an A-1 visa for a head of state.
This would mean that he has not been checked by US authorities for past drug use. If that is the case, the Trump State Department could revoke the status.