SCOTUS Asks Trump’s View on Cruise Ships Lawsuit

The Supreme Court has asked the Trump administration to weigh in on a lawsuit against four cruise ship companies that took U.S. travelers to Cuba after Obama’s opening toward the island.

The plaintiffs are descendants of a U.S. communications tycoon with Nazi links who held a lease on three Havana docks. They argue that the cruise lines violated Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which allows U.S. claimants who lost properties in Cuba during nationalizations to sue companies that have done business involving those properties. Title III was suspended for more than 20 years, until Trump activated it in 2019.

A Miami judge initially ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering the cruise lines to pay them over $400 million, but the decision was overruled on appeal.

The Supreme Court previously asked The Trump administration to submit its position on another Title III lawsuit – by ExxonMobil.

For more about the lawsuit against the cruise lines, Title III and the campaign that convinced Trump to activate it, read our article: Billboards and Backchannels.