France has expressed concern after U.S. border agents read the contents of a visiting French space scientist's smartphone and deported him after accusing him of "hateful" messages against U.S. policy.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, his government has cut federal research funding and sought to dismiss hundreds of federal workers pursuing health and climate research.
"I learned with concern that a French researcher who was heading to a conference near Houston was forbidden from entering U.S. territory before being expelled," French Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said on Wednesday.
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