U.S. President Donald Trump declared his intention to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison, more than six decades after its closure. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the move was part of his broader crackdown on violent crime, branding Alcatraz a new “symbol of law, order, and justice.”
Located on an island in San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz was shuttered in 1963 due to high maintenance costs and logistical challenges. Today, it functions as a popular tourist destination, drawing visitors from around the world to explore its eerie cells and storied history.
Trump announced he had directed multiple federal agencies including the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to work together to “rebuild and substantially enlarge” the prison. He said the revamped Alcatraz would be used to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders,” Trump wrote. “We are bringing real consequences to lawbreaking and putting the worst of the worst where they belong isolated and forgotten.”
The former president’s tough-on-crime rhetoric follows recent controversy over his policy of sending alleged gang members to foreign prisons, including a controversial transfer of over 200 suspected Venezuelan gang members to a facility in El Salvador in March. Trump has also floated the idea of sending American criminals to foreign prisons, drawing backlash from human rights organizations.
Historically, Alcatraz was known for holding some of the most notorious criminals in American history, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. It has been immortalized in films like Birdman of Alcatraz and The Rock.
However, critics have raised concerns about the feasibility and ethics of reactivating the prison, given its high operational costs and symbolic association with punitive justice. The Federal Bureau of Prisons previously cited the island’s isolation and infrastructure expenses as reasons for its original closure.
The proposal is expected to face legal, logistical, and political hurdles but for now, Trump appears set on bringing the Rock back to life.
