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Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§2502 Aliens’ privilege to sue

Title 28 › Part PART VI— - PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › Chapter CHAPTER 165— - UNITED STATES COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROCEDURE › § 2502

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows people who are citizens or subjects of a foreign country that lets U.S. citizens sue it to bring a claim against the United States in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims when that court has authority. See Internal Revenue Code of 1986 section 7422(f) for an exception about suits over internal revenue taxes.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §2502

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Citizens or subjects of any foreign government which accords to citizens of the United States the right to prosecute claims against their government in its courts may sue the United States in the United States Court of Federal Claims if the subject matter of the suit is otherwise within such court’s jurisdiction.
(b)See section 7422(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for exception with respect to suits involving internal revenue taxes.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 261 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 155, 36 Stat. 1139). Changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 7422(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (b), is classified to section 7422(f) of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–572 substituted “United States Court of Federal Claims” for “United States Claims Court”. 1986—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”. 1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–164 substituted “United States Claims Court” for “Court of Claims”. 1966—Pub. L. 89–713 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–572 effective Oct. 29, 1992, see section 911 of Pub. L. 102–572, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1982 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–164 effective Oct. 1, 1982, see section 402 of Pub. L. 97–164, set out as a note under section 171 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1966 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 89–713 applicable to suits brought against officers, employees, or personal representatives instituted 90 days or more after Nov. 2, 1966, see section 3(d) of Pub. L. 89–713, set out as a note under section 7422 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 2502

Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73