Trump Wants to Reopen Alcatraz for America’s “Worst Offenders”
Donald Trump is calling to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the infamous island prison closed since 1963, as part of a broader plan to crack down on violent crime and immigration. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the U.S. needs to isolate “vicious, violent, and repeat offenders,” and described Alcatraz as a symbol of law and order. He directed federal agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons and Homeland Security, to begin plans to rebuild and expand the facility.
The proposal faces major hurdles. Alcatraz is now a national park managed by the National Park Service, and officials have long cited high costs and crumbling infrastructure as reasons it was shut down.
Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi dismissed the idea as “not a serious one.” Still, Trump’s move underscores his tough-on-crime and immigration stance as he ramps up campaign rhetoric, also pushing for new detention centers at Guantanamo Bay and in El Salvador.
Whether Alcatraz sees inmates again remains unclear—but the debate over Trump’s law-and-order proposals is heating up.