US President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order to prosecute those who insult the American flag, considering it a “sacred symbol,” according to Fox News. This move follows repeated flag burnings during protests against mass deportations of immigrants and US support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza. The order states that the American flag is the most sacred and respected symbol of the United States, and desecrating it constitutes a grave insult and provocation. It accuses foreign groups and individuals of deliberately using this act to intimidate and threaten Americans with violence. Trump will empower the Attorney General to prosecute offenders and clarify the boundaries between this order and the First Amendment, which guarantees five fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression.

This step comes amid protests described as “anti-Israel” and others against the Federal Immigration Agency’s actions, reflecting opposition to the Israeli war on Palestinians in Gaza and Trump’s mass deportation program.