Commentary: The Absurd Reality of Rejecting Foreign Scholars at the Border

1. [para. 1] On April 16, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an alert about approximately 20 Chinese scholars with valid visas being interrogated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Seattle airport and denied entry for U.S. academic conferences.

2. [para. 2] This alert caused widespread alarm in academic circles.

3. [para. 3] International academic exchange depends on cross-border mobility, but recent years have seen increasing border detentions and interrogations for scholars heading to the U.S.

4. [para. 4] Notable cases include scholars deported at boarding gates, held for hours in customs, or avoiding U.S. conferences permanently.

5. [para. 5] Escalating scrutiny means entry now hinges on unpredictable "border moments" rather than research quality, papers, or invitations, with knowledge flow subject to a customs officer's directive.

6. [para. 6] Peak U.S. conference season features events like IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference and National Association for Research in Science Teaching in Seattle, and American Association for Cancer Research in San Diego; Seattle is a key trans-Pacific entry hub, though the 20 scholars' destinations are unspecified.

7. [para. 7] On April 7 at Seattle airport, University of Washington doctoral candidate Kennedy Orwa and his 13-year-old son were detained upon return from Kenya and deported within hours.

8. [para. 8] Speculation links scholar denials to new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who, one day before Orwa's deportation and after taking office in March, threatened to withdraw customs services from airports in "sanctuary cities" per Fox News.

9. [para. 9] By August 2025, the U.S. designated 12 states, 18 cities, four counties, and D.C. as sanctuary jurisdictions, including Seattle, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and others with international airports.

10. [para. 10] Aaron Reichlin-Melnick of the American Immigration Council warned that removing customs from cities like New York and Los Angeles would disrupt U.S. international air travel globally.

11. [para. 11] Democrats reportedly seek limits on ICE and CBP for DHS funding, with both agencies operating via funds from President Trump's "Big and Beautiful" legislation.

12. [para. 12] In March 2025, French Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste reported a French researcher, delegated by the National Centre for Scientific Research to a Houston-area conference, was denied entry and deported, allegedly for criticizing Trump administration science policies.

13. [para. 13] Reuters noted Germany's Foreign Office updating U.S. travel advisories to stress visas do not guarantee entry after German detentions; the U.K. also warned of potential arrest or detention for entry violations.

14. [para. 14] Seattle scholar denials highlight how politics blocking science at borders signals broader global shifts.

15. [para. 15] The article was first published in Chinese by the Intellectual on April 17.

16. [para. 16] Opinions expressed are the authors' and not necessarily Caixin Media's editorial stance.