EBN–French scientist was denied entry to the United States this month after airport immigration officials searched his phone and found messages criticizing President Donald Trump’s administration, French and American news reports said .
“We learned with concern that a French researcher traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled,” French Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Philippe Baptiste said in a press statement, reported by Agence France-Presse.
The minister indicated that US authorities apparently took this action because the researcher’s phone contained messages with colleagues and friends expressing his personal opinion on the Trump administration’s scientific research policy.
Baptiste defended his fellow citizen, saying, “Freedom of opinion, freedom of research, and academic freedom are values we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the right of all French researchers to adhere to them, while respecting the law.”
A diplomatic source reported that the incident occurred on March 9, and that the researcher was charged with writings “that reflect hatred toward Trump and could be described as terrorist.” However, another source told the agency that US authorities accused the French researcher of publishing “hateful and conspiratorial messages.”
The New York Times reported that the scientist was informed of an FBI investigation, but was later told that “the charges had been dropped” before he was fired.
All persons arriving at a port of entry to the United States are subject to inspection on a case-by-case basis,” Hilton Beckham, a spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection. “As part of their critical national security mission, CBP officers routinely determine admissibility of foreign nationals using longstanding US immigration law. If an individual has material discovered on their electronic media that raises flags during an inspection, it can result in further analysis. Claims that such decisions are politically motivated are completely unfounded.”
