France says that the United States refused to enter the French world on views on Trump’s policies

A French scientist was prevented from entering the United States this month due to an opinion on the Trump administration’s policies on academic research, according to the French government.

Philip Babetst, Minister of Higher Education and Research in France, described the move as worrying.

“Freedom of opinion, free research and academic freedom are values ​​that we will continue to support proudly,” Mr. Babetet said in a statement. “I will defend the possibility that all French researchers will be loyal to them, according to the law, wherever they are in the world.”

Mr. Babetest did not specify the world that was removed, but said that the academic was working at the National Center for Scientific Research in France, and he was traveling to a conference near Houston when border officials stopped him.

Mr. Babetst said that the American authorities denied entering the world and then deported him because his phone contains an exchange of messages with colleagues and friends who expressed his “personal opinion” in the science policies in the Trump administration.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the border authorities to stop the world, and why they examined the contents of his phone or what they found rejected on the conversations.

Customs employees are allowed to search on a mobile phone, computer, camera, or any other electronic device for any traveler crossing the boundaries, According to customs and US border protectionAlthough the agency says such cases are rare. In 2024, less than 0.01 percent of international travelers who arrived searched their electronic devices, according to the agency.

Mr. Babetst’s office refused to provide more details about the case, and the National Center for Scientific Research did not immediately respond to the request for comment. A spokesman for the American embassy in Paris refused to comment.

News Agency in France I mentioned earlier The world refuses to enter the United States.

Mr. Babetet has been especially explicit over the past few weeks in condemning the threats of academic freedom in the United States, as it targeted the financing and the Trump administration’s layoff. Higher education institutionsand Scientific research And the federal government Scientific work force.

Mr. Babetet also urged French universities and research institutes to welcome researchers who seek to leave the United States.

“Europe must be there to protect research and welcome the talent that can contribute to its success,” Mr. Babetst Books on social media After meeting with his European counterparts in Warsaw on Wednesday to address “threats to free research in the United States.”

Ségolène Stradic The reports contributed.