The U.S. Supreme Court has narrowed the ability of foreign plaintiffs to bring certain human rights lawsuits in American courts, ruling that federal judges cannot create new claims under the Alien Tort Statute and that the Torture Victim Protection Act does not authorize aiding-and-abetting liability.
In a 6–3 decision issued June 23, 2026, in Cisco Systems, Inc. v. Doe, the Court reversed a lower court ruling involving allegations that Cisco Systems helped Chinese authorities identify and persecute practitioners of Falun Gong through surveillance technology. The allegations were claims made by the plaintiffs, not findings that Cisco had committed the alleged abuses.
What the Supreme Court Decided
The case centered on two federal laws frequently cited in lawsuits involving alleged human rights violations.
The Alien Tort Statute (ATS) allows foreign nationals to bring certain civil claims in U.S. federal court for torts committed in violation of international law. The Supreme Court held that federal courts may not create new causes of action under the statute for alleged violations of international norms.
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