On Thursday (March 20), the French government said that a French scholar was denied entry into the United States for expressing opposition to the policies of President Trump.
According to POLITICO, French Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, stated in a release that “a French scholar was denied entry while traveling to Houston for a conference and was then deported back to Europe,” expressing deep concern over the matter. He mentioned that the U.S. government took this action apparently because the researcher had personal opinions on the Trump administration’s scientific policies in conversations with colleagues and friends on his phone.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed “regret” in a statement and hoped to promote “freedom of expression” and “academic and scientific cooperation.”
A French researcher who arrived in the U.S. on March 9 had his phone and computer sampled for messages that were deemed to express “hatred towards Trump, which could be labeled as terrorism,” as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Another source familiar with the case informed AFP that the U.S. government cited “hate and conspiracy messages” as the reasons for denying entry to the French researcher. The FBI subsequently launched an investigation, and the “allegations were withdrawn.”
Recently, France and the Trump administration have been accusing each other of suppressing freedom of speech. On March 16, a French member of the European Parliament claimed that under the Trump administration, the U.S. no longer embodies the spirit of the Statue of Liberty, stating that “some Americans are choosing to side with tyrants, dismissing researchers who seek scientific freedom, and we say to these Americans: give us back the Statue of Liberty!”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared during a press briefing the following day, “Absolutely not!” emphasizing, “It is because of America that the French are not speaking German right now, they should be grateful (to America).”
Vice President JD Vance criticized the European continent last month in Munich, stating, “I firmly believe that if you are afraid to hear voices, opinions, and conscience that can guide your people, there is no security in Europe.”
(Adapted from POLITICO)