President Donald Trump signed an executive order today mandating the prosecution of suspects who violate the sanctity of the American flag, including burning it. The order requires legal action against offenders and includes visa revocations and bans for foreign nationals involved. According to a fact sheet, the American flag is the most sacred symbol of the United States, and desecration is inherently offensive and provocative, used by foreign nationals to intimidate Americans and threaten violence. The order directs the Attorney General to prosecute violations involving flag desecration and to clarify First Amendment boundaries. It also instructs the U.S. Attorney General to refer flag desecration cases violating state and local laws to local authorities. The order directs the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to deny, revoke, or cancel visas or immigration benefits for foreign nationals involved in flag desecration where appropriate.

The flag has been desecrated during recent protests against Israel in U.S. cities and universities, and during ICE raids targeting illegal immigrants. Protesters were seen burning the American flag outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August 2024, in Washington D.C. during Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s congressional speech in July 2024, and in New York City’s Washington Square Park during the Fourth of July weekend 2024 in protest of U.S. support for Israel.