Why did Paul de Man leave the United States for France in 1955?

Paul de Man left the United States for France in January 1955 primarily because he was under continual pressure from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and faced the threat of deportation for having overstayed his visa by many years.1

During his nearly two-year stay in France, he engaged in a highly productive period of intellectual work, collaborating with philosopher Jean Wahl and developing the philosophical approach to language that would later form the foundation of his academic reputation.1