WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled that Exxon Mobil Corporation can sue Cuban state-owned companies in U.S. courts over property seized after Fidel Castro took power. The decision, issued with a 6-3 vote, reversed a lower-court ruling that found Cuban state-owned companies are immune from lawsuits in U.S. courts.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the opinion for the majority. He stated it "would make little sense" if the law allowed the president to decide whether suits can proceed against Cuban interests while also protecting them. Kavanaugh wrote that the value of the property would be worth more than $1 billion today. Exxon Mobil is seeking compensation for the confiscation of assets owned by subsidiaries of Standard Oil, including more than 100 service stations and an oil refinery. In 1969, the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission determined the value of Exxon Mobil's property in Cuba was $71.6 million, plus 6% annual interest beginning in 1960.

The case involves the 1996 law known as Helms-Burton. President Trump lifted the suspension of Title III of this law in 2019. Title III allows Americans to sue companies that engage in commercial activity or benefit from property confiscated by Cuba's government. Exxon Mobil filed its lawsuit on the same day the suspension was lifted.

The Department of Justice told the court that the United States has compelling foreign-policy interests in ensuring that U.S. nationals whose assets were illegally expropriated receive recompense. Justice Elena Kagan wrote the dissenting opinion, stating the 1996 law simply contains no provision eliminating the sovereign immunity shield.