A French scientist on assignment for the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) was shockingly denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport dug through his phone and unearthed messages in which he blasted the Donald Trump administration, revealed a French minister. The incident occurred on March 9.
This development is bound to stir public opinion. It raises serious questions about the balance between national security and personal freedom, not to mention the growing concern over privacy in the digital age. A harmless post or a casual opinion could raise some eyebrows with immigration officials. Or even a sarcastic comment about politics could determine whether you’re allowed to enter a country.
The US authorities reportedly accused the French researcher of hateful and conspiratorial messages. A British newspaper reported that he was informed of an FBI investigation, but added that the “charges were dropped” before being expelled.
“I learned with concern that a French researcher who was traveling to a conference near Houston was denied entry to the United States before being expelled,” Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister of higher education and research, said in a statement on Monday to Agence France-Presse published by Le Monde.
“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. 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.”
Although there is no clarification on the conference the researcher was going to attend, it has emerged that the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference took place outside Houston from March 10 to 14.
Hilton Beckham, a spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection, said that everyone arriving at a port of entry to the United States was subject to inspection on a case-by-case basis. He explained that CBP officers routinely assess the admissibility of foreign nationals based on longstanding US immigration law. Beckham added that if material found on an individual’s electronic devices raised concerns during the inspection, it could lead to further analysis. He dismissed claims suggesting that such decisions were politically motivated, calling them completely unfounded.
A CBP spokesperson also referred to the agency’s website which notes: “On rare occasions, CBP officers may search a traveller’s mobile phone, computer, camera, or other electronic devices during the inspection process.” Such searches of electronic devices, the agency policy claims, “are often integral to determining an individual’s intentions upon entry to the United States and thus provide additional information relevant to admissibility of foreign nationals under US immigration laws”.
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