On Sunday, March 9, while traveling to Houston, Texas, to participate in a scientific conference focused on spatial issues, a French researcher affiliated with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) was unexpectedly caught in a diplomatic controversy. He was held by airport authorities for more than a day before being deported back to France, leaving behind his work laptop and mobile phone in the United States.
Philippe Baptiste, the French Minister of Higher Education and Research, publicly announced the denial of entry. In a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP), he expressed regret over the decision, attributing it to the American authorities’ concerns regarding the researcher’s phone, which contained communications with colleagues and friends where he shared his personal views on the Trump administration’s research policies.
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The following day, the US Department of Homeland Security challenged this account, asserting that there were no political motivations behind the incident. “The researcher had confidential information on his electronic device from Los Alamos National Laboratory [in New Mexico], which violated a non-disclosure agreement. He acknowledged taking this information without authorization and attempted to hide it. Any assertion that his expulsion was politically motivated is completely unfounded,” stated Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, on X on March 20.
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