A French scientist has been denied entry into the US after he was found to have expressed an opinion about the Trump administration’s research policy, the country’s research minister has said.
The unnamed researcher was on his way to a conference being held near Houston when he was subjected to a random check and his work computer and personal phone searched on 9 March, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency reported.
A diplomatic source told the agency the researcher was accused of having messages “that reflect hatred toward Trump and can be described as terrorism”.
Another source said the researcher was accused of having “hateful and conspiratorial messages”.
They said the FBI opened an investigation, but “charges were dropped”.
The first source said the researcher’s professional and personal equipment was confiscated, and that they were sent back to Europe the next day.
“I learned with concern that a French researcher who was travelling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled,” said research minister Philippe Baptiste, according to AFP.
“This measure was apparently taken by the American authorities because the researcher’s phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy,” the minister added.
“Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values that we will continue to proudly uphold.”
Mr Baptiste said the scientist was part of the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the AFP news agency described him as a space researcher.
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On the same day the scientist was denied entry, Mr Baptiste published a letter to American research institutions telling researchers they would be welcome in France.
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“Many well-known researchers are already questioning their future in the United States,” he said in the letter. “We would naturally wish to welcome a certain number of them.”
The US Department for Homeland Security has been contacted for comment.
