Le Monde avec AFP
United States: French researcher expelled for expressing "a personal opinion on the policies pursued by the Trump administration"
In this illustrative photograph, people stand in the security queue at Hollywood Burbank Airport on September 4, 2021, in Burbank, California, U.S. KIRBY LEE / AP
The French government deplored, on Wednesday, March 19, the ban on entry to the United States and subsequent rejection of a French researcher who had come to attend a conference because he had expressed a "personal opinion" on American research policy.
"I learned with concern that a French researcher" on assignment for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) "who was traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled ," said the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Philippe Baptiste, in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse (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 ," he added.
According
to a diplomatic source to AFP, the incident occurred on March 9. The
space researcher was reportedly subjected to a random check upon
arrival, during which his work computer and personal phone were
searched. The same source also reported that messages discussing the
Trump administration's treatment of scientists were found. He was
reportedly accused of messages "that reflect hatred toward Trump and can be described as terrorism ." His professional and personal equipment was reportedly confiscated, and the researcher was sent back to Europe the next day.
Reminder of freedom of opinion
According to another source briefed on the case to AFP, the French researcher was accused by the American authorities of "hateful and conspiratorial messages." He was reportedly informed of an FBI investigation, for which "charges were dropped ," the source continued.
"Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values that we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the right of all French researchers to be faithful to them, while respecting the law ," declared the Minister of Higher Education and Research. The US Embassy in Paris, contacted by AFP, referred the matter to customs services. US customs, when contacted, did not immediately respond.
For its part, the Quai d'Orsay recalls that the United States is "sovereign" in matters of entry and stay of foreign nationals on its territory and specifies that the French consular services have been "informed of this situation" . However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "deplores this situation" and reiterates its "desire to promote freedom of _expression_" , as well as the commitment of the French government "to academic and scientific cooperation" .
This incident comes as, since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has made a series of shock announcements targeting the scientific community (brutal budget cuts, censorship of certain subjects in subsidized research, etc.).