France has claimed that a scientist trying to attend a conference near Houston, Texas, was denied entry to the United States because of his critical opinions about President Donald J. Trump and his policies. The Trump administration has hit back, saying the scientist was caught with confidential information from an American lab.
Philippe Baptiste, French Minister for Higher Education and Research, expressed concern over the incident. He alleges that the denial and subsequent deportation stemmed from messages found on the scientist’s phone discussing Trump’s science policies.
While the specific identity of the scientist was not disclosed, Baptiste mentioned that he worked for France’s National Center for Scientific Research. He was reportedly heading to a conference when U.S. border officials stopped him.
It is unknown what the scientist’s exact opinions were. President Trump has moved to cut federal funding from universities that impose diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and has scrapped other woke policies.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has countered the French claims as “blatantly false.” According to the DHS, the scientist was in possession of confidential information from Los Alamos National Laboratory in violation of a non-disclosure agreement and admitted he had taken the information without permission.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), customs officers can search the electronic devices of travelers crossing the border, though such searches are rare. In 2024, such searches were conducted on less than 0.01 percent of international arrivals, the agency noted.
Baptiste’s office and the National Center for Scientific Research provided no further comment, and the American Embassy in Paris also declined to address the matter.
