French scientist denied entry to US over views on Trump's policies
The US has continued its crackdown on foreign nationals travelling to the country, with a French scientist being denied entry in Texas and deported on 10 March for his personal views on the Trump administration's policies.
The scientist works for France’s publicly funded National Centre for Scientific Research and was travelling to a conference near Houston when border officials stopped him, according to reports on Wednesday.
US authorities denied entry to the scientist and then deported him because his phone contained messages in which he expressed his opinion on the Trump administration’s science policies, France’s minister for higher education and research, Philippe Baptiste, said in a statement to Agence France-Presse on Thursday.
“Freedom of opinion, free research and academic freedom are values that we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the possibility for all French researchers to be faithful to them, in compliance with the law,” Baptiste said.
The researcher reportedly underwent a random check upon arrival, when his personal phone and laptop were searched.
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According to Baptiste, the scientist, which French authorities have not identified by name, expressed a "personal opinion" on Trump's policies, but it was unclear what was deemed objectionable.
British citizen detained at US-Canada border
In another incident, British citizen Becky Burke, 28, was detained on 28 February at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing centre in Tacoma, Washington, for 19 days after being denied entry at the US-Canada border. She was accused of violating her travel visa. Burke was deported and returned home on 19 March after family and friends raised funds to bring her home.
Burke, who had embarked on a trip through the US, was travelling through the US for several months and was staying with a number of families and doing household chores in exchange for accommodation, the Tacoma News Tribune reported.
While attempting to visit Vancouver, where she was planning to stay with a host family, Canadian officials denied her entry. She was subsequently questioned by American customs and border officials, who told her she had violated her travel visa.
The United Kingdom has now issued new travel guidance for British citizens travelling to the United States amidst the immigration crackdown in the United States.
The updated travel advisory warns visitors that they may be arrested or detained if they fail to “comply with all entry, visa and other conditions of entry. The authorities in the US set and enforce entry rules strictly. You may be liable to arrest or detention if you break the rules.”
Several Germans have recently been detained in the US for offences, including incorrectly answering a question from border authorities due to a language barrier and travelling with tattoo equipment, according to a report by Axios.
Germany updated its travel advisory for the US on Tuesday, saying visas and entry waivers wouldn't necessarily guarantee entry for German citizens.
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