STORY UPDATED: check for updates below.

What We Know

Was a French scientist denied entry to the U.S. in March 2025, due to the supposed discovery, on his phone, of messages critical of U.S. President Donald Trump, or because he had confidential information from Los Alamos National Laboratory? The story was first reported by French newspaper Le Monde and news service Agence France-Presse (AFP). Here is what we know.

The story appeared in an article (archived here) published by Le Monde on March 19, 2025, in the section "World with AFP". Its title read:

United States: French researcher expelled for expressing 'a personal opinion on the policies pursued by the Trump administration.'

The article continued:

The French research minister expressed his "concern" on Wednesday following the decision by the American authorities. The CNRS researcher was reportedly subjected to random checks upon arrival, before his computer and phone were searched.

This is what the article looked like at the time of writing:

(Source: Le Monde screenshot taken on Thu Mar 20 14:22:28 2025 UTC)

Both Le Monde and France 24 cited a statement by the French Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste given to AFP. As translated by Lead Stories, he said:

I learned with concern that a French researcher [from the National Center for Scientific Research] who was going to a conference near Houston, was barred from entering the US, and then expelled.

Baptiste continued:

The American authorities took this step because the researcher's phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed personal opinions on the Trump administration's policy towards research.

According to the AFP sources, the incident occurred on March 9, 2025.

In response to our specific questions about the researcher's denial of entry into the country, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Lead Stories via email on March 20, 2025, that "federal privacy restrictions" prevented them from discussing individual cases.

Later that day, a DHS spokesperson shared a statement via email:

The French researcher in question was in possession of confidential information on his electronic device from Los Alamos National Laboratory-- in violation of a non-disclosure agreement--something he admitted to taking without permission and attempted to conceal.

Any claim that his removal was based on political beliefs is blatantly false.

Lead Stories reached out to the French Consulate in Washington, D.C. for additional comments and we will update this article if we receive substantive responses.

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