WSHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed plans to reopen and expand the infamous Alcatraz prison, located on an island off the coast of California.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump criticized the U.S. justice system, claiming the country has been plagued by “vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders.”
The reopened Alcatraz, Trump said, would serve as a “symbol of law, order, and justice,” aimed at housing America’s most violent criminals.
The prison, which was closed in 1963 and is now a popular tourist destination, would be rebuilt and significantly enlarged under Trump’s plan.
Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security to work together to revive the historic prison.
His move comes amid ongoing disputes with the courts over his controversial policy of sending alleged gang members to prisons in other countries, including El Salvador, where he sent more than 200 Venezuelan gang members in March.
Trump has also suggested sending U.S. criminals to foreign prisons in the future.
Alcatraz Island, known for housing notorious criminals like Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly in the 1930s, originally served as a military fort before becoming a federal prison.
The facility gained further notoriety from films like Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and The Rock (1996).
The prison was closed due to its high operational costs, largely due to its remote location, which made it significantly more expensive to maintain than other federal prisons.
However, Trump’s plan aims to reinstate Alcatraz as a tough detention facility for the nation’s most dangerous offenders.
