According to the French government, the opinion he expressed about the Trump administration's policies on academic research prevented French scientists from entering the United States this month.
French Minister of Higher Education and Research, Philip Baptist explained that the move is worried.
“Freedom of opinion, free research and academic freedom are values that we continue to proudly support,” Baptist said in a statement. “I defend the possibility that all French researchers can be faithful to them in compliance with the law, wherever they are in the world.”
Baptist did not identify the scientist whose backs were turned away, but said the academic works at the publicly funded National Science Research Center in France, where he was traveling to a conference near Houston when border officials stopped him.
US authorities refused to enter the scientist and later deported him as his phone included exchanging messages with colleagues and friends.
It was not immediately clear why border authorities forced the scientists to stop, why they looked up the contents of his phone, or why they found the conversation undesirable.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, customs are permitted to search for mobile phones, computers, cameras or other electronic devices from travelers across the border, but the agency says such instances are rare. In 2024, less than 0.01% of international travelers who arrived searched for electronics, according to the agency.
Baptist's office declined to provide further details about the case, and the National Center for Science and Research did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the US Embassy in Paris declined to comment.
The Agence France-Presse news agency previously reported on scientists' refusal to the United States.
Baptist has been particularly vocal over the past few weeks by denounceing the threat to American academic freedom, where cuts in funding and layoffs from the Trump administration target higher education, scientific research and the federal government's own scientific workforce.
Baptist also urges French universities and research institutions to welcome researchers looking to leave the United States.
“Europe must be there to protect research and welcome talent that can contribute to its success,” Baptist wrote on social media after meeting with his European counterparts in Warsaw on Wednesday, dealing with the “threat to free research in the United States.”
Ségolène Le Stradic contributed to the report.
