US deports French scientist after officials 'find texts critical of Trump'

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/03/20/french-scientist-us-entry-
denied-texts-critical-trump/

A French scientist was denied entry to the US after immigration officials 
found text messages that were critical of Donald Trump which they said 
“could be considered to be terrorism”.

The researcher, who has not been named, was on his way to a conference in 
Houston, Texas, when officers pulled him aside for a random check and 
searched his work computer and personal phone, the French newspaper Le 
Monde reported.

A diplomatic source cited by AFP said that the messages related to the 
Trump administration’s treatment of scientists and scientific research.

During the search, officers rebuked him for messages “which conveyed a 
hatred toward Trump and could be considered to be terrorism”, the same 
source claimed. Another source cited by AFP said the officers claimed the 
messages were “hateful and conspiracy”.

The Telegraph has not seen the content of the messages.

The FBI then opened an investigation into the researcher, but “the charges 
were abandoned”, according to the second source.

The incident occurred on March 9, and the researcher was sent back to 
Europe the following day after authorities confiscated his personal and 
professional equipment.

The French government condemned US authorities’ decision to deport the 
researcher for expressing “a personal opinion” about Mr Trump’s policies.

“I learned with concern that a French researcher, who was going to a 
conference near Houston was denied entry to the US before being deported,” 
Philippe Baptiste, the French minister for higher education and research, 
said in a statement to AFP.

“This action was taken by the American authorities because the 
researcher’s telephone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in 
which he expressed a personal opinion about the Trump administration’s 
policy on research.

“Freedom of speech, independent research and academic freedom are values 
that we will continue to stand for resolutely.”

Since Mr Trump took office, Elon Musk’s Department of Government 
Efficiency (Doge) has instituted sweeping cuts and funding freezes to US 
universities and research institutions as part of a plan to drastically 
reduce federal government spending.

Universities have subsequently announced layoffs and revoked offers to 
graduate students, which critics of the cuts have said will devastate 
research and lock out a generation of scientific leaders.

France’s foreign ministry said that while it condemned the incident and 
“promoted freedom of expression” and government engagement on “cooperation 
among universities and scientific research”, it acknowledged the US was 
“sovereign” in matters related to the entry of foreigners.

The US government has in recent weeks come under fire for detentions of 
foreign nationals, including a British woman who had been denied entry to 
Canada over a visa mix-up and subsequently arrested when she tried to re-
enter the US.

US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and the FBI in Houston did not 
immediately respond to the Telegraph’s request for comment.


-- 
November 5, 2024 - Congratulations President Donald Trump.  We look 
forward to America being great again.

The disease known as Kamala Harris has been effectively treated and 
eradicated.

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that 
stupid people won't be offended.

Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem.  It has none.

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden 
fiasco, President Trump.  

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the 
The World According To Garp.  Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood 
queer liberal democrat donors.