France voiced concerns over an incident involving a French space scientist who was deported from the United States after border agents accessed and scrutinised the contents of his smartphone. The scientist was accused of sending "hateful" messages criticising US policy.

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Since Trump's return to the White House in January, his administration has cut federal research funding, impacting various fields, including health and climate research.

"I learned with concern that a French researcher who was heading to a conference near Houston was forbidden from entering US territory before being expelled," Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste told news agency AFP on Wednesday.

"This measure was taken by the US authorities because the researcher's phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed his political opinion on the policies of the Trump administration on research," he said.

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A space scientist was stopped at the US border on March 9, where US officials conducted a thorough search of his work laptop and phone, reviewing their contents in detail, allegedly as part of a "random" security check, news agency AFP reported citing a diplomatic source.

The US agents then found messages about how the scientists were treated under the Trump administration, which the source said "showed hatred towards the US president and could be qualified as terrorism".

The officials confiscated the scientist's equipment and sent him back to Europe on March 10. 

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'Hateful and conspiratorial messages'

A second source familiar with the incident revealed that the space scientist was accused of possessing "hateful and conspiratorial messages" on his devices, according to AFP. 

As a result, US authorities informed him that the FBI would launch an investigation. However, the case was subsequently dropped, raising questions about the grounds for the initial accusation.

Baptiste emphasised the significance of "freedom of opinion, free research and academic freedoms" and said he would defend these as long as they were "within the limits of the law".

The French foreign ministry said its consulate had been informed of the incident, adding that it "deplored the situation".

However, the ministry said it was the US' "sovereign" right to decide who could enter or remain on its territory. 

(With inputs from agencies)