₦airaland Forum

A French researcher was denied entry to the United States after US authorities found messages about President Donald Trump on his phone, a French government official said on Thursday.

France’s minister of higher education and research Philippe Baptiste said that the researcher was traveling to a conference near Houston earlier this month when US authorities found that his phone “contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policies.”

The researcher was then denied entry to the US and expelled from the country, Baptiste said.

The French ministry of higher education and research said that he worked in the field of space research, and that the incident took place on March 9.

“Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values that we will continue to proudly uphold,” Baptiste said in a statement.

“I will defend the right of all French researchers to adhere to these values, while respecting the law, regardless of the country in which they find themselves,” he added

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CNN that they could not speak about specific cases but that all people entering the US “are subject to inspection on a case-by-case basis.”

“If an individual has material discovered on their electronic media that raises flags during an inspection, it can result in further analysis. Claims that such decisions are politically motivated are completely unfounded,” Hilton Beckham, CBP Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, said in a statement.

Septigon:
Japa Nigerians take note!

AImiron:
A French researcher was denied entry to the United States after US authorities found messages about President Donald Trump on his phone, a French government official said on Thursday.

France’s minister of higher education and research Philippe Baptiste said that the researcher was traveling to a conference near Houston earlier this month when US authorities found that his phone “contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policies.”

The researcher was then denied entry to the US and expelled from the country, Baptiste said.

The French ministry of higher education and research said that he worked in the field of space research, and that the incident took place on March 9.

“Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values that we will continue to proudly uphold,” Baptiste said in a statement.

“I will defend the right of all French researchers to adhere to these values, while respecting the law, regardless of the country in which they find themselves,” he added

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CNN that they could not speak about specific cases but that all people entering the US “are subject to inspection on a case-by-case basis.”

“If an individual has material discovered on their electronic media that raises flags during an inspection, it can result in further analysis. Claims that such decisions are politically motivated are completely unfounded,” Hilton Beckham, CBP Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, said in a statement.

Source: CNN

AImiron:
Source: CNN

Righteousness2:
Triple Wahala, Fear and HBP for many Japa contingent here on Nairaland.

fineboynl:
That was wrong . Even if he insult Trump.

It shouldn't warrant that.

Killerofpigs:
Tinubu has refused to visit the USA..from Biden to Trump Era.

A whole ECOWAS chairman can't travel to USA

Peter Obi is traveling everywhere without issues..

If Dem catch Tinubu..

.

This is actually an extraordinary admission to make for a US Vice President pic.twitter.com/cKl9QuDOPd

Vance explains that "the idea of globalization was that rich countries would move further up the value chain while the poor countries made the simpler things."

But he laments…

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) March 20, 2025

Killerofpigs:
Tinubu has refused to visit the USA..from Biden to Trump Era.

A whole ECOWAS chairman can't travel to USA

Peter Obi is traveling everywhere without issues..

If Dem catch Tinubu..

.

Osanoghodua1:
Many terrorist are already deleting their bad views about Trump, they badly need the freedom that a Christian nation provides but they are killing Christians are home.

fineboynl:
That was wrong . Even if he insult Trump.

It shouldn't warrant that.

Your propaganda died a miserable death.

Peter Obi has travelled to UK numerous times and even travelled to USA more than TINUBU who is a President.

When is Tinubu as President visiting USA?

Dem no born am well abi?

Earth2Metahuman:
your Peter obi was detained in the UK and deported back to Nigeria.

He hasn't been to UK since then.

Killerofpigs:
Tinubu has refused to visit the USA..from Biden to Trump Era.

A whole ECOWAS chairman can't travel to USA

Peter Obi is traveling everywhere without issues..

If Dem catch Tinubu..

.

But Tinubu traveled to the USA in September 2023 for the UNGA conference in New York.

Or was it another Tinubu?

EponObi:
Sane clime abi how una dey talk am?



Dude you no wise. So if Tinubu doesn't visit the USA, our sovereignty is invalid. What sort of ass licking and low self esteem is this?

"A whole ECOWAS chairman can't travel to USA" this foolish from head to toe. Lol. So traveling to the US is the validity test for an ECOWAS or Nigerian president? Oponu! Ironically, recently, it was your type that were crying all over the social media on the allegation that Barrack Obama gave GEJ wotowoto in 2015. A willing slave, that's who you are.

It's this same mentality of yours that has made African leaders keep Africa underdeveloped for centuries. Whereas, the west don't give sh!t about you. As dem no send your ancestors when they enslaved them, dem no send your future generation. Know this and know peace. Read or rather watch what the US VP said without mincing words live on the international media.

I read about Congo offering the US minerals for military aid. This is another example of what JD was say: "make dem poor country keep producing the simple stuff"

I pray Africa will awake someday.

This is actually an extraordinary admission to make for a US Vice President pic.twitter.com/cKl9QuDOPd

Vance explains that "the idea of globalization was that rich countries would move further up the value chain while the poor countries made the simpler things."

But he laments…

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) March 20, 2025