What Did the Founders Mean by ‘Birthright Citizenship’?

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False assumptions: The Supreme Court is considering a universal injunction against President Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship, which has brought the issue back to the front pages.

Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Amy Swearer explains on X that those who drafted the 14th Amendment did not intend that any child who happens to be born in the U.S. automatically receives citizenship.
And it was never meant to incentivize foreigners to break U.S. law. Watch the Heritage explainer on X.

Read more here on why President Trump is right to question the status quo.

Immigration Without Assimilation Will Doom the U.S.

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Diversity wars: Leftists say “diversity is our strength.” But there is a reason why the early colonists were able to band together to form a nation—they assimilated.

“Ensuring that immigration be legal and orderly, and that it be accompanied by this strong assimilationist effort—and that the immigrants agree to this assimilation—is what reassures people that their culture will not be destroyed,” writes Senior Fellow Mike Gonzalez.

Read more here and here.

Do You Support ICE Agents?

This is the government agency tasked with closing America’s borders and deporting the illegal aliens who have invaded our country.

The liberal media is spinning vicious lies against these brave ICE agents.
In the face of these attacks, we want to know what you think about ICE’s immigration enforcement efforts

Please complete The Heritage Foundation’s ICE Survey to make your voice heard.

https://secured.heritage.org/take-the-heritage-ice-survey

Trump Can Terminate Tariff Troubles—Here’s How

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Land the plane: Uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s recent tariffs is understandable, but calm can be restored by letting President Trump negotiate, writes EJ Antoni, research fellow in the Hermann Center.

The president has time to sign trade deals with key countries that “guarantee American consumers can still access a wide variety of affordable products from abroad and ensure that American exporters can finally access foreign consumer markets,” he writes.
“Trump and (Treasury Secretary) Bessent still have economic runway to get this done and alleviate all the tariff turmoil in the coming weeks and months,” says Antoni.

Read more here.

Myths and Facts About the Reconciliation Bill

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Fact check: What you’ve been hearing about the reconciliation bill is probably nowhere near the truth. To help the public to know the difference, Heritage has been compiling a list of myths and facts about the “big, beautiful bill” and posting them on X.

Is boosting the SALT deduction a tax cut?
Is the bill a tax cut for the rich?
Does the bill slash Medicaid?

Find the answers on X here, here, and here.

Too Much SALT Could Ruin That Big, Beautiful Bill

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Bad taste: Raising the state and local tax (SALT) deduction won’t reduce taxes for most Americans. So why is it a big deal? Because the deduction subsidizes high-tax states.

“The SALT cap is a guardrail against every state legislature, but especially those of California and New York, from doubling down on wasteful and harmful spending,” writes Heritage research fellow Preston Brashers.

Read the full story in The Daily Signal.

Apply for Ready, Set, HILL!

What: Heritage runs a free, full-day, intensive training program for conservatives aspiring to work on Capitol Hill called Ready, Set, HILL!

Why: Conservative House and Senate offices are hiring Capitol Hill staff. Ready, Set, HILL! prepares young conservatives to serve and succeed in these positions.

Where: The training can be completed virtually or in person in DC. 

When: Applications are due on Friday. The training will be held on May 29.

Learn more here.

Forbes Again Names Heritage #1 in Digital Influence

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Top of the world: Heritage’s digital dominance was recognized again this year by Forbes, which ranked Heritage as the most influential think tank in the U.S.

For Heritage Vice President of Strategic Communications Mary Vought, the top ranking “is a testament to the power of the conservative message, the strength of our team, and the dedication of Heritage’s nationwide network of members and supporters.”

Read the press release here.

The United States Is at Risk of a Spanish-Style Electricity Meltdown

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Eggs in one basket: Spain suffered an enormous power outage due to what many believe were failures in solar energy plants. America should recognize this warning and invest in more reliable energy sources.

“The stability and reliability of the power grid cannot depend on subsidized renewables,” writes Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of Heritage’s Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment.

Read more here.

Want to Help Restore America?

Join the Heritage Academy—an eight-week online fellowship focused on America’s founding principles and the most pressing policy issues of our time.

Heritage Academy Fellows gain access to compelling policy lectures, conversations with Heritage experts, and discussions with conservatives from across America.

Apply to this part-time program by June 1!

Happening At Heritage

The 2025 Russell Kirk Lecture featuring Victor Davis Hanson

Renowned classicist, historian, author, and conservative political commentator Victor Davis Hanson will deliver the 2025 Russell Kirk Lecture, titled “Why Borders Matter—Ancient and Modern.” The lecture series recognizes eminent thinkers in the tradition of “the father of American conservatism,” Russell Kirk.

May 28, noon. Register here.

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Research and Commentary

Heritage-Backed Lawsuit Ends Biden Employment Rule Forcing Women to Share Spaces with Men—Dr. Kevin Roberts and Dan Mauler
What a Success Story Looks Like: Top U.S. Priorities for the June 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague—Jordan Embree and Wilson Beaver
Trump’s First Hundred Days Have Been a Triumph—Nile Gardiner, Ph.D.
Report: Quantifying and Remedying Overcriminalization in Federal Law—GianCarlo Canaparo
Report: Social Cost of Carbon: DSCIM’s Unreliable Foundations—Austin Gae and Kevin Dayaratna, Ph.D.
The Judicial Appointment Train Is Leaving the Station—Thomas Jipping
Report: Awaiting the Nondelegation Doctrine’s Return—Jack Fitzhenry
Report: Rediscovering America’s Heritage: George Washington, Mount Vernon, and the American National Character—Brenda Hafera
Poll: Americans’ Knowledge of and Opinions About In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)—The Heritage Foundation
End the War on Manufacturing: An Agenda to Restore Industrial Production in the United States—David Burton
Report: North American Security: U.S.–Canadian Defense Priorities—Wilson Beaver and Robert Peters
Terror Attack Could Mean a Pakistan–India War Is Coming—Kriti Upadhyaya
Report: CAFE Standards: From Energy-Security Measure to Backdoor EV Mandate—Andrew Weiss and Diana Furchtgott-Roth

In the News

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Rob Greenway, director of the Allison Center for National Security, appeared on Fox News to talk about President Trump’s Middle East trip, which Greenway says secured major investments for the United States while advancing a peace-through-strength agenda that is boxing in Iran, China, and Russia. Watch the clip on X.

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The Agenda: What Did the Founders Mean by ‘Birthright Citizenship’?