A French scientist traveling as a tourist to the USA to attend a scientific convention in Texas was denied entry and sent back to France after US border agents found messages critical of Donald Trump on his mobile phone.
French Tourist Denied Entry To USA When Officials Find Anti-Trump Text Messages On His Mobile Phone
US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have a carte blanche right to search your electronic devices when coming into the USA (DHS claims this is “integral to keeping America safe”). On March 9, 2025, a French scientist traveling to Houston (IAH) to attend a conference was asked to hand over his phone to DHS officials for further examination.
Philippe Baptiste, France’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, issued a statement explaining what happened:
“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.
“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.”
US officials accused the scientist of “hateful and conspiratorial messages” and deported him. Baptiste now is inviting American scientists to France, saying, “Many well-known researchers are already questioning their future in the United States. We would naturally wish to welcome a certain number of them.”
A couple of thoughts here. US Vice President Vance traveled to Germany last month and lectured European leaders about free speech, lamenting, “In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat” and described multiple examples of curbs on free expression Vance deemed alarming.
How is this not a “do as I say, not as I do” approach? Are we really to the point where those critical of King Donald” (his words, not mine) will be expelled?
"CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!"
–President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 19, 2025
(not a meme…from the actual White House X account)
I’ll simply say that I hope this incident was an aberration and will not become the new norm. God forbid that people may have varying opinions on public officials and policy on either side of the Atlantic. If the US truly starts trying to silence those who oppose the policy positions of the current administration, we are no better than the banana republics who do the same thing…
image: DHS
I expect better of you. There is no proof at all that he was denied entry due to negative Trump comments. We do not know what really was on his phone. The causality is simply not there.
Do you think the French minister just lied to make the USA look bad? Do you think DHS would not have gleefully pointed out if there was something else going on to explain the deportation rather than just refusing to comment? Come on…
DHS doesn’t just randomly grab peoples phones, they don’t have the resources to do so, so clearly this individual raised some red flags of a potential threat. Do you know what his messages said Matt? No you don’t they could have been threatening either toward the President specifically or others within a country he is visiting as a guest. Without any more details sorry you are on the wrong side of this one Matt. Disappointed in you.
Albert, you are totally wrong. DHS agents randomly grab foreign people phones entering US, looking for evidence that the person may be an illegal immigrant. Now more than ever.
Your commitment to avoiding logic is commendable. Illegal immigrants do not enter the USA on commercial flights (any more). DHS does what appear to the LIV (low information viewer) as random, but they are anything but random. And nobody, absolutely nobody cares if a French scientist enters the USA. Unless he is a threat!!!
@Albert: Let DHS come forward with a valid reason or else I’ll believe the French minister. Even the DHS site I linked to indicates that these electronic searches are random…and I’m sorry but wishing Trump was dead (or something like that, if it even rose to that) is hardly surprising for a man who is destroying international norms that are the basis of Western stability and should not be grounds for deportation.
We voted for this, and it’s great. One less delulu person to deal with in the USA. Personally I didn’t wish for Kamala or Joe to die when they were ruining things but leftists have different standards. If the French guy had something like that, deport that mf. And the US can deny anyone visa for any reason, or no reason at all. I’m surprised someone like you who specializes in travel don’t know that, or maybe you’re just being deliberately obtuse.
Knowledge of the law doesn’t indicate support for it…
Sure. But you didn’t acknowledge that the law/rule regarding that already exists, and has existed for a long time, and that you are against that, so like I said; either you didn’t know or you were deliberately misleading/obtuse
@Jan: I’ve written (complained) about that policy for years over the administrations of Obama, Trump, and Biden.
Jan you sound like an idiot.
Your self admitted TDS and political leanings are showing and that is problematic for a travel blogger. You are letting your hate and emotions affect your thinking. The confirmation bias is in full force here. If you have proof that the only “dangerous” messages were anti-Trump texts, then this is wrong. But you don’t have any proof. Yet, you jump to conclusions and condemnation. You need to rethink your position here. You are a lawyer for crying out loud.
I agree with you, except for hating Delta!
The handle is from 2005 when my wife was fired from Delta for having a disability. In 2025, Delta has become one of the best carriers in the USA.
@Deltahater:
Opposition to Trump’s policies is not TDS. It’s such a weak rhetorical argument to dismiss genuine policy disagreement as simply insanity.
Greetings to the People’s Republic of America, I’m sure China has some helpful pointers for you guys.
For real though, I’ve been to the US more than a dozen times for work, conferences and leisure. I always loved it and was planning to take my wife this year, as she’s never been. Now we’re reconsidering—it’s beginning to sound too much like the Eastern bloc authoritarian states that our parents grew up in.
Cheers.
For all the people that like to use the term “TDS”, I’d like to point out that the guy who proposed the “Trump Derangement Syndrome” bill was arrested for soliciting a minor the same day as proposing this bill.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/18/minnesota-justin-eichorn-arrested-soliciting-minor
This is who you align with.
@Mnatthew … You are contradicting yourself : (a) On the one hand , you refer to “hateful and conspiratorial messages” which would show a potential problem ; and (b) on the other hand you refer to “text messages critical of Trump” , which would allow for a harmless visitor .
There is a huge difference .
@Alert: I’m doing no such thing. Whatever the speech, unless it was a specific and deliberate premeditated threat against the POTUS, it should have been no problem. Per the French minister, “He expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration’s research policy” and I am taking him at his word. If his messages simply expressed an opposition to the recent cutbacks, come on…banning him was a ridiculous overreaction.
And this conspiratorial idea that it was something sinister seems far less plausible when a US green card holder was rounded up and jailed for voicing opposition to Israel at Columbia University…wake up, Alert.
@Matthew … Are you equating (a) “hateful and conspiratorial messages” , with (b) “simply expressed an opposition to the recent cutbacks” . LOL . Not equivalent .
Time to give the brave men and women of CPB the benefit of the doubt . They have the phone and the transcript , after all . They deal with nasty people all the time , and they know what they are doing .
The French Minister is likely “taking the scientist at his word” , just as @Matthew is “taking the French Minister at his word” . Lots of flirting with self-serving hearsay .
@Deltahater and @derek are correct , based on what we know .
@Deltahater … +1 . Exactly . @Matthew is ‘jumping to conclusions’ .
No dear, the fact that DHS refuses to even address this serious charge undermines any validity for the deportation.
@Matthew … “hateful and conspiratorial messages” IS addressing the charge . The particulars are Evidence and will be disclosed in court if the deportee wishes to appeal .
Deportee has no rights. It just shouldn’t be this way…and you are malign far more assumptions than I am.
Our country is now a world disgrace. How we could vote in such an evil person
Freedom of speech only for the brainless MAGAs.
Welcome to the new North Korea!
Every day something new:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/03/16/mass-deportation-ice-detains-non-criminals/82304354007/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/german-national-green-card-holder-immigration-detention-fabian-schmidt-rcna196714
https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/never-seen-anything-so-inhumane-canadian-woman-put-in-chains-detained-by-ice-after-entering-san-diego-border
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/10/trump-supporter-ice-detained
@ Ricardo – having grown up in the UK, the Guardian Newspaper is pure trash, and always puts a “racial” spin to almost every article.
I do get a kick out of reading it (especially the live US Politics blog) – they blow with which ever way the left wing / socialists go, and now have even become anti-Newsom.
Hello Farage fan. I assume you get your “information” from Fox News and Murdoch’s newspapers. Everyone else is a communist.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/33778490/brit-arrested-visa-prison-trump/
@Richardo, actually no – you assume to much.
Three weeks I said he would shortly be wearing a gold crown. And here we have it. Freedom of the press, free speech and much more are in danger.
Not all the information was released.
In another case recently, a nephrologist (internal medicine of the kidney) at Brown University was denied re-entry after a family visit overseas. Wow, that sounds terrible of America. Only later it was revealed that the doctor, while on vacation, attended the funeral of a high ranking Hezbollah leader and took photos. That set off alarm bells of a terrorist sympathizer. So it’s hard to assess this French guy without all the facts, most of which are probably not released.
No Derek, the Brown professor is a horrible person for sympathizing with terror, but we should not be denying entry or deporting H-1B and especially green card holders who attend mass, open-air funerals or who have political sympathies that do not align with ours. I also view Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, but I find the “thought police” even more alarming…attending a funeral is not taking up arms against the USA.
The answer to speech is more speech…a position I have long-maintained regardless of my own ideolgoical sympathies.
You are a full on supporter of Israel.
Which means you are OK with the illegal taking ot land in the West Bank by the awful settlers.
Trump is awful as you admit but you can’t have it both ways. You can’t support Israel 100% and be critical of Trump.
Your statement combines strawman, false dilemma, guilt by association, converse error, hasty generalization, equivocation, and non sequitur fallacies to create an unfair and illogical argument.
A Majority of American disagree with you Matthew – we want these people out of the US. You lost the election, time to move on and realize your opinions are no longer relevant. That’s democracy.
Another factually incorrect non-sequitur…you’re on a roll!
so views you disagree with have no place in our country? Isn’t that authoritarianism?
Going to a Hezbollah leader’s funeral as well as having photos of Hezbollah administration on your phone is very suspicious. The person is almost certainly a supporter of Hezbollah. If a citizen supports Hezbollah, the rights of citizens are considered strong enough that the government is supposed to look away. However, if one is not even a citizen or permanent resident, that is a problem. Wait until they commit a terrorist attack then try to sue them?
What is the threshold? That it is ok to be in the US on a visa and attend a terrorist training camp as long as you haven’t yet committed a terrorist attack? How about having photos of terrorists on your phone?
@derek … +1 . @Matthew is ‘jumping to conclusions’ .
Amen, Matthew. Well said.
One USCBP decision that will eliminate billions of dollars from the US economy for at least the next 3 summers to come! MAGA logic!
Pretty sure this happens in the UK all the time… what’s the difference here?
Two wrongs don’t make a right?
Even if you love him, it’s hard to deny that Donald Trump is quite literally the most hated man on Earth. At least statistically speaking, it would be a surprise if a French national hadn’t expressed negative opinions of him at some point.
Elon musk is vying hard for that title
Having a Visa does not guarantee entry. It only guarantees you the right to petition a CBP officer for entry.
The CBP officer can still deny you entry
That is correct and we should not be denying people because they don’t personally care for the POTUS…
@Matthew … Proof ?
this did not happen.
Proof?
Until the phone contents are fully published, you have no way to judge.
Since they are “hateful and conspiratorial messages,” I can imagine the conspiratorial part includes wanting to commit any number of crimes. People are denied entry for less. The EU denies entry for what we’d call free speech.
Good lord, now it’s happening not only to the French but the Germans as well!
https://www.yahoo.com/news/germany-updates-us-travel-advice-012325804.html
$100 the french national was a muzzy and his social media posts included the kind of casual jew hate that doesn’t even register to leftists as controversial
Members of the British punk band UK Subs were also deported from the “Land of the Free” this week.
https://dorseteye.com/im-so-proud-to-be-deported-from-the-usa/
I am glad that this French Scientis was refused entry into the US… I am sure there is more to this story- about what he did or had on his phone..The French only like Democrat Presidents… I was there after the Bush election –scary. as was the 2 {resident Trump elections.. Also UK peeps are not happy with non-liberal(RNC) Presidents also….
@dee … +1 .
Dee you sound like an idiot.
Matthew, I do hope you continue to highlight these stories. Many of them will no doubt end up being more nuanced than at first glance, but reporting the information that we do have is really the only way to monitor a notoriously opaque (and often arbitrary) part of travel. To the (many? wild) other commenters who say this is only half the story, can’t be trusted, etc., it is likely only because of these stories (and the NYT, Reuters, etc. who haver covered it) that we will get more information out of CBP.
There is no doubt certain types of opinions that likely warrant being kept of the country. I’m just very uncomfortable with how those lines get drawn.
This sudden embrace of thought policing saddens and worries me (particularly from so many who until recently seemed to think otherwise). Travel and cultural exchange is such a powerful force for changing minds. I’ve visited plenty of countries where I have strong disagreements with the government and never have given a second thought, and I hate to think my own country may now be doing that to visitors. And, even for the vast majority of us with nothing to hide, I don’t want to live in a world where, say, France and Germany are conducting intrusive electronic searches at the border because that becomes tit-for-tat accepted retaliatory treatment. More travel, not less.
Never read a more hateful and gross comments section. Truly the demise of our civil society.
Basil Fawlty said it best and his words are indeed relevant today…
https://x.com/FAWLTYTOWERS_/status/960111913932767232
What did the French person do for a visa? When you say “tourist visa” do you mean no visa? An academic conference should require a visa.
No, using an ESTA works…there is no special visa needed to attend a short conference (or to hold a meeting).
James, you are very wrong. Try to google.
You dont need an special visa to attend an academic conference in the US. French nationals only need a visa if they are traveling to the United States for a purpose other than short-term tourism or business.
With the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) you can attend an academic conference in the US.
But that won’t be a problem, since in the coming years, the only international academic conferences that will remain in the US will be from the Flat Earth Society.
Good,
We need more of this.
And become a Western version of CCP?
Much props to you. I may not agree with all, but you are a man of principle. Stay true.
I can’t help but wonder what the world would look like if Trump fans were as keen to see proof for all the claims their leader has made (and continues to make) as they are when it comes to this French scientists assertions. It’s funny how the desire to seek proof only seems to appear when it applies to something people don’t wish to believe.
Yep.
Jeez Matthew. You’re grasping at straws. I know you’re a smart guy but really…is everyday gonna be the world is failing because Trump? He did serve for four years previously, and yet, .. . I think we’re still alive.
Maybe you could try to lay off the politics and remind yourself why many of us enjoy this blog? We could give a shit what you think of Trump, Musk or Schumer. I could read countless other blogs for that kind of BS.
What you think about Cathey Pacific or ANA or QANTAS means a whole lot more. Knowing that you experienced that matters.
What you “feel” about politics doesn’t. You hate Trump and Musk. We get it, please don’t repeat and try to get over it. If you can’t, I, and many others I suspect, will move on.
It’s his blog. He can post whatever he wants. That is what being in a free country is all about. If that’s not okay with you, I know plenty of places in Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea that will welcome you with open arms.
That’s the best you can come up with as you watch the man you supported ripping our nation apart from inside and destroying our standing on the world stage?
Classic MAGA response. Ignore facts. Ignore what’s happening. You are all just the musicians playing on the Titanic.
Pfft. He served 4 years. Insurrection because he was mentally unfit to accept reality. And now an administration lacking any transparency that can tell us what the actual cause for denial of entry. Because if there was a just cause they /you would be crowing like a rooster. That is the reality of this situation. This is just another distraction to mask the failure of the deportations. Smoke and mirrors.
What I love about the MAGAs who are now getting their faces eaten by a leopard is they will flatly refuse to admit they were wrong about Trump all along.
They would rather sink with the ship.
I do feel sorry for people in the US – things are looking very bad.
Like the one who’s wife was detained by ICE and still doesn’t regret voting for Trump. Trump could SA these guy’s daughters and they would thank Trump for the honor
A couple of observations.
1. Countries around the world have this carte Blanche power at the border. I don’t like the speculative electronic device search without a warrant. As much as we want to hold Trump and CBP accountable, hold other countries accountable and they say on thier website (Canada in particular too) that anything they deem offensive can be used to deny your admission. The discretion is wide and should not be allowed around the world.
2. These searches are conducted every day. Given the political environment, I do feel more publicity is intentionally sought cuz it’s the Trump administration. I’ve had US citizen friends be stopped like this at CBP. Yet not outrage at all….rather it’s used as a warrant free sleuthing of any DOJ target of that particular administration…other countries do the same.
3. Any country has the right to kick out any foreigner presenting at the border should the country leadership desire….look at Canada with an urge to deny trump to travel to Canada for an international conference. Sad anyone gets denied (including this French tourist) but it’s that country’s prerogative. I urge Canada not to do it cuz they would be upset if USA blocked the PM. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Everyone above is partially right. Everyone wants to ban people for thingns they disagree with.
What if a person has white supremacy views on thier phone when entering the USA? Would they be free to enter? (I’m not supporting their views rather playing devils advocate). I highly suspect people would want to have them banned from the USA. Well. You can make the same argument for a hamas sympathizer on thier phone. So if you want first amendment to reign. You have to allow the speech that your not ok with too.
(Before people say well Trump is a white supremacist….the above is observed and documented for every other country out there where supposed free speech is allowed).
France has a secular law banning religious symbols expression….so….how about that free speech argument?
I considered getting into French free speech policy in my story above, but limited my remarks to quoting VP Vance. Your take is reasonable and you’re quite right that the US is not alone in arbitrary and capricious denials of entry. I find some of France’s free speech and free exercise laws deplorable (and the UK and Germany even worse).
But since the subject of this story was the US border, I did not want to distract from that. And I believe the US should be a beacon for free speech and free expression around the world, including at its borders.
I do understand some want America to be the beacon of complete free speech. However, i guess i have to point out that these other countries cannot point to America as the bad guy as they have certainly exercised the same discretion at thier border in the name of thier sovereignty (and frequently worse treatment and due course) Dont criticize America in areas where they do the same or worse (lets not get into the immigration policies of Europe right now too).
I merely say America is at a place where their taxpayers feel they can no longer give and give to the world while leaving behind a lot of people here. How can Europe feel this exact way and be totally given a pass from the world…yet condemn America for having the same attitude.
China imposed massive tariffs on Canada, worse than America even….executed 4 Canadian citizens for drug charges….yet no moral outrage or boycott a simple statement of condemnation from the Canadian government…where are the protests and banning of Chinese officials and products?
Its as much the media and perception ruling the narrative/politics versus the reality of each atrocity committed….and the public response to it. Look at Canada at the liberal polling the past three months. Trudeau and liberals have no one to thank but Trump for the bump….everyone hated the liberal party…except the golden rule to win over Canadians is simple…..antagonize, disparage and berate America is always a winner. Expand this to the rest of the world…and you see why the world politics/perspective works….(still wrong in my opinion to do this in Canada…im Canadian …. and criticize the attacks based on ethic orgin….that illegal in a lot of circles the last time i checked)
Canada and Australia I would tend to agree. UK to a certain extent as well. They will search devices if suspicious. Yes, a friend had his devices searched going into Canada a few years ago and was deported out. He was guiding a back country trip, filling in for a sick Canadian last minute and they found his texts, etc. The only reason they questioned him is that he had back country gear in his truck for 14 people and was alone. Clearly this attracted suspicion.
In none of these countries though would an American passport holder be deported for derogatory statements about their leaders. Period. Unless there were serious threats to the lives of any they found.
This was a guy going to a conference and like many of us we talk about hating Trump. Overseas, most people despise him of course and talk about him in this light. That is NOT a reason for deporting someone. Period. And it has nothing to do with other free speech laws in France where an American would never be deported for saying negative things about Macron.
This, blended with all of the other senseless deportations happening now of Europeans, is going to destroy any hope of normalized relations with our allies, gut international travel, and result in Americans now being targeted overseas.
@Zack: I’m not interested in engaging in the Tu quoque fallacy…I lived in Germany for two years and I saw the blatant discrimination at the borders between white people like me (treated well) and those with dark skin (looked at with automatic suspicion). Yes of course, China is far worse in its human rights record and its tariff record (of course, China and Canada do not share a border and China was not Canada’s #1 trading partner and most importantly, China is not an equal and has never styled itself as a liberal democracy…I’d say Indian tariffs and Indian conduct concerning the Sikh movement in Canada is far more egregious and I’ve written about it on this blog).
And I’m certain you’ve heard the expression, “To much is given, much is required.” And yet it is all selfish to an extent…we arm Ukraine now so that Russia doesn’t become a graver threat later. We fund R&D for diseases and vaccinations in the developing world to avert global pandemics.
The idea that it is “us versus them” in terms of foreign aid is a canard; it is not a zero-sum game. We prosper when there is peace in the world and when democratic values advance. That costs money, but ultimately saves us money.
Totally agree on your perspective and it’s valid.
We want to be a world power….that takes money and influence.
We are a colonial power so we only need to look to Europe on how that cycle works. So everything today happened similarly there in the past.
In terms of policies through out the world. The point is people do disagree on the policy direction. I would say healthy debate should be encouraged without this tribalism and cancel culture for differing views. I think this is the root of our division….
I’m not arguing against any of your views. Rather there should be healthy debate on points for those policy stances. (Not saying you are shutting down debate rather making the point this blog comment log should be here but I wish it was more thoughtful on points instead of some yelling of stupid remarks).
Just because you are against a persons view doesn’t make them wrong or evil. I’m a gay Canadian. Yet the best friends and mentors have been gun carrying breitbart reading republicans. They will give the shirts off thier backs to help. Just like im not a communist from Canada either. Ellen was chastised for having the bushes as friends. I was appalled my community took that position.
It’s gray. Not black or white. Not Airbus or Boeing. Not D or R. It’s a spectrum. We have forgotten that in our current discourse. We all choose facts we want to agree with that fits our beliefs. We need more wide range of views/facts/opinions to get us back in the middle.
So keep these conversations going. Encourage civil debate with thoughtful points. Keep up the good work with the blog.
We are headed towards civil war. There is no escaping it. This is spiraling out of control. The next stage will be Trump and his Nazi MAGA friends turning on American citizens who dare to question. First the judges. Than you and I.
Thankfully, your prediction is wrong.
Are you a time traveler?
Says Herr Goering. I’ll look for you on the streets when it all begins.
BR is overpriced why wasn’t le text en francais???
Britain and a France arrest people for speech, including for citizens complaining about rape gangs and complaining about open borders that threaten the population. People in Europe have been arrested for reading the Bible out loud in a public place. An Irish teacher was jailed for not using the “correct” pronouns for a student.
Yes, it’s bad for the government to deport people for critical statements on leadership. But don’t pretend sending someone back on a plane is worse than government’s criminalizing speech and jailing its citizens and residents.
Europe also deports people for planning on giving speeches in support of Palestine.
Tu quoque…
I’m not defending Europe. I’m deriding the US approach.
Other countries also limit free speech. For example, American anti-LGBT hate group activist Katy Faust of sham International Children’s Rights Institute fame got the boot from a certain Asian country for speaking at an anti-gay marriage rally there (not allowed for a foreigner on a visitor visa). But that’s a good thing. One less American religious screwball to deal with.
TDS is really bad with our host.
Says Herr Goering.
Derangement means insanity.
Is that how you label those you disagree with?
He lied about having confidential info on his phone. Great job spreading fake news
https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1902881013220385220
Let’s see if this is true…if so, you can bet this story will be updated.
I don’t think it makes us more free, or more brave, if our government–left, right, or MAGA– decides it gets to tell us that we can only have friends over who happen to agree with the political leaders of the moment.