A unanimous Supreme Court has dealt a severe blow to Holocaust survivors and their families in a long-running lawsuit seeking compensation from Hungary for property confiscated during World War II.

The justices unanimously ruled that the plaintiffs had not established a connection to the United States required by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.

A group of Holocaust victims may not sue Hungary in American courts to recover property stolen during World War II because their funds were comingled with other funds, the Supreme Court ruled Friday in a long-running case about how much reach US courts should have to settle disputes abroad.

The Supreme Court unanimously sided with Hungary on Friday by rejecting a group of Holocaust survivors’ legal theory that sought to haul the country into American courts to pay compensation. The court’s decision rebuffs the survivors’ claims that they are entitled to funds from the Hungarian treasury for the government and national railway confiscating their assets

Justice Sonia Sotomayor acknowledged that her ruling will make it "harder" for plaintiffs to satisfy an exception to foreign sovereign immunity for stolen property sold for cash.

The Supreme Court considered whether relatives of Holocaust victims could take a sovereign nation to a U.S. court to atone for their families’ stolen property.

The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed an appeals court ruling that allowed Holocaust survivors to pursue a lawsuit against Hungary for property confiscated during WWII. The decision highlights challenges in seeking restitution from sovereign nations and follows a related case involving Germany and the Guelph Treasure.