A French scientist was denied entry to the United States this month over messages critical of President Trump’s administration's research policies, according to France’s government.

Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education, said “he had learned with concern that a French academic who was going to a conference in Houston was denied entry before being deported” back to Europe.

The academic, who was not named, was on assignment for the National Center for Scientific Research, according to Baptiste.

"This measure was apparently taken by the American authorities because this researcher's phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the Trump administration's research policy," Baptiste said in a statement to

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