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Author
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Topic: French space scientist denied entry into US
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dom
Member Posts: 1118
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-20-2025 08:15 AM
   
Disgraceful behavior.A French scientist was denied entry to the US this month after immigration officers at an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticism of the Trump administration, said a French minister. "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," the minister added. "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," Baptiste said. A diplomatic source told the French news agency that the incident occurred on 9 March. The scientist was on assignment for the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). It was not immediately clear what conference the researcher who was denied entry to the US was planning to attend, but the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference was held outside Houston from 10 to 14 March. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5445
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-20-2025 08:44 AM
There have been quite a few individuals who have exploited the US entry system under questionable circumstances. Likely more to this story then being reported in the press that cannot be publicly disclosed due to government sensitivity. |
dom
Member Posts: 1118
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-20-2025 08:50 AM
OK, you believe that if you want. This is an issue of academic freedom. It's a sad state of affairs when a French space scientist (we're allies aren't we) is being blocked from attending a legitimate conference on what looks like political grounds. "Land of the Free" indeed... |
mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1491
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 03-20-2025 12:46 PM
This is completely outrageous, unacceptable, and extremely dangerous.But given that this isn't a site to discuss politics I'm going to leave it at that. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5445
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-20-2025 04:31 PM
This is one side of the story. Setting aside any bias of the reporting press, they do not have access to the decision tree that led to the individual being denied entry. While not stating the case here it's a fact that international travelers have previously exploited academic credentials as cover to engage in activities including espionage, information theft, or other nefarious behavior counter to US interests. We don't know if he was flagged for a "random" screen of his IT based on potential ties to terrorist organizations/individuals or what other background information led CPB to initiate action. Unless the US Government elects to release additional details the reporting lacks context and it is improper to jump to conclusions. Does this represent a change in the "status quo" – perhaps but likely because of more rigorous application of US entry policy and associated screening. |
dom
Member Posts: 1118
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-21-2025 02:59 AM
I think you are actually reading too much into this story. I believe the French government's read on this — a space scientist trying to attend a conference in Houston was thrown out of your country because someone at US border control took offense to comments about Trump on his phone/computer. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 5445
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-21-2025 04:35 AM
If the information discovered on his IT equipment could be construed as terroristic threats or if he refused to answer CPB agent questions, was perceived to be evasive that can also be grounds for denial. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54274
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-21-2025 05:57 AM
The Department of Homeland Security has said the scientist was denied entry because he had "confidential" data from an American lab, not because of his views on the president's policies. "The French researcher in question was in possession of confidential information on his electronic device from Los Alamos National Laboratory — in violation of a nondisclosure agreement — something he admitted to taking without permission and attempted to conceal," Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, said late Thursday."Any claim that his removal was based on political beliefs is blatantly false," she said. She did not provide further details. It was unclear when or how the scientist might have worked at or interacted with the laboratory at Los Alamos, N.M. |
dom
Member Posts: 1118
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 03-21-2025 07:25 AM
Nice official explanation. So he was taking American nuclear secrets back into the United States? Definitely up to no good then... |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 54274
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-21-2025 08:02 AM
This is not the forum to debate the validity of the accounts. Unless this results in a policy change or actively interferes with a present or future space mission, this topic really doesn't merit any further discussion here. |
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