On March 9, 2025, US border agents denied a French researcher working for France’s National Center for Scientific Research entry to the United States and deported him back to France.
The researcher was on his way to attend the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which was held outside of Houston, Texas from March 11-15. Upon his arrival, US border agents stopped him for a search, during which they examined the contents of his personal mobile phone and work laptop. According to one source who spoke to the media, the border agents told the researcher that they had found messages expressing hatred towards US President Trump and informed him that the messages qualified as terrorism. According to French Minister of Higher Education and Research Philippe Baptiste, the messages in question related to US research policy.
US officials denied that the researcher’s deportation was related to his personal opinions. According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, the researcher’s devices included classified information from the Los Alamos National Laboratory that violated a nondisclosure agreement.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arbitrary denial of a scholar’s entry to a country to engage in academic activity. State authorities have an obligation to respect academic freedom and to refrain from imposing arbitrary restrictions on movement that limit academic freedom. In addition to harm to the immediate victim, such travel restrictions deter academic activity and undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/03/20/french-researcher-denied-entry-to-us-for-expressing-personal-opinion-on-trump-policies_6739346_4.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/world/europe/us-france-scientist-entry-trump-messages.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/trump-musk-french-scientist-detained
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/us-conference-boycott-urged-after-french-scientist-deported
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/21/world/europe/us-france-scientist-entry-trump.html