Herrera v. Toth, Case No. 08-4167, Third Circuit:
Opinion filed: January 6, 2011

"Jesus Alberto Mejia Herrera appeals from an order of the District Court of the Virgin Islands, which dismissed his complaint.  We will affirm, albeit on a different basis."
...
"Herrera . . . sought to raise claims pursuant to the Alien Tort Statute. We noted in McPherson that a ten-year limitations period extends to such claims.  Herrera's complaint, filed in 2008, was several years too late [claims arose in 1993].  We further agree with the Government that even if equitable tolling could be applied, it is highly unlikely that Herrera could "show that he has exercised reasonable diligence in pursuing or investigating his claim" in order to warrant equitable tolling of the limitation periods. Government Response at 4; see McAleese v. Brennan, 483 F.3d 206, 219 (3d Cir. 2007) (person seeking equitable tolling must show he diligently pursued rights and extraordinary circumstances stood in his way)."

M. Anderson Berry's Whether Foreigner or Alien: A New Look at the Original Language of the Alien Tort Statute was republsihed in the Immigration and Nationality Law Review, Vol. 30, Issue 1 (2009), pp. 111-176 in late 2010. 

"Berry discusses the seemingly minor linguistic change by Congress that substantially altered the class of individuals to whom the Alien Tort Statute is available."