In the case of United States v. Kwai Fun Wong (2014), the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Wong, deciding that the time limit for filing a claim against the federal government is not absolute and can be extended under certain circumstances. The issue arose when Wong filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government alleging mistreatment by prison guards while she was detained during immigration proceedings but missed her deadline to file by 15 days due to an error made by her lawyer's office staff. The court held that equitable tolling, which allows courts to extend deadlines due to extraordinary circumstances beyond a plaintiff’s control, applies even in suits against the United States under Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). This decision marked an important precedent regarding lawsuits involving claims against federal agencies.

In the dissenting opinion for United States v. Kwai Fun Wong, Justice Alito argued that the majority's interpretation of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) was incorrect and too broad. He contended that Congress did not intend to waive sovereign immunity in cases where a plaintiff failed to file within the statute of limitations period. According to him, this would undermine governmental efficiency by forcing federal agencies to defend against stale claims. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority’s view on equitable tolling being applicable universally unless explicitly stated otherwise by Congress; instead arguing it should be presumed unavailable when dealing with statutes waiving sovereign immunity due its historical roots in equity jurisprudence rather than legislative enactments.