The 11th Amendment primarily prevents federal courts from hearing private and foreign claims against which entity?

The 11th Amendment primarily prevents federal courts from hearing private and foreign claims against which entity?

• A. Allows private suits against states in federal court
• B. Prevents Federal court from hearing private & foreign claims against states
• C. Extends immunity to counties
• D. Allows states to sue the federal government in state court

Answer: (B)

The key idea is state sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment. It protects states from being sued in federal court by private individuals or foreign governments, so federal courts generally cannot hear those private or foreign claims against a state. The protection rests on the notion that states cannot be sued without their consent, unless Congress validly abrogates immunity or the state waives it. There are nuances, like suits to enjoin state officials for ongoing unconstitutional conduct (the Ex parte Young line), but the shield against private or foreign claims against the state itself remains the core effect. So the correct understanding is that federal courts are barred from hearing private and foreign claims against states. The other statements misstate the scope or direction of the immunity: it does not grant immunity to counties, and it does not create a right for states to sue the federal government in state court.

The key idea is state sovereign immunity under the Eleventh Amendment. It protects states from being sued in federal court by private individuals or foreign governments, so federal courts generally cannot hear those private or foreign claims against a state. The protection rests on the notion that states cannot be sued without their consent, unless Congress validly abrogates immunity or the state waives it. There are nuances, like suits to enjoin state officials for ongoing unconstitutional conduct (the Ex parte Young line), but the shield against private or foreign claims against the state itself remains the core effect.

So the correct understanding is that federal courts are barred from hearing private and foreign claims against states. The other statements misstate the scope or direction of the immunity: it does not grant immunity to counties, and it does not create a right for states to sue the federal government in state court.