DUBLIN,Ireland May 5-Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to reopen and significantly expand Alcatraz, the infamous island prison off the coast of San Francisco, to house what he described as the nation’s “most violent and ruthless offenders.”
In a statement posted Sunday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he has directed the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to begin planning a “rebuilt and substantially enlarged” Alcatraz facility.
He framed the move as part of a broader crackdown on violent crime, which he claims has plagued the country due to a lenient judicial system.
“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders,” Trump wrote. “Reopening Alcatraz will serve as a powerful symbol of law, order, and justice.”
The proposal has sparked immediate backlash from legal experts and political opponents, with many calling it unrealistic, costly, and a political stunt rather than a practical solution.
Alcatraz, once considered the most secure prison in the United States, was closed in 1963 due to high operating costs and deteriorating infrastructure. Isolated in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay, the facility was nearly three times more expensive to operate than other federal prisons. It has since become a major tourist destination, drawing over a million visitors annually.
Trump’s proposal comes amid growing controversy over his approach to criminal justice and immigration. In recent months, he has pushed legally dubious strategies including sending American gang members to a prison in El Salvador and invoking an 18th-century law to fast-track deportations without due process.
In March, his administration reportedly transferred over 200 Venezuelan nationals accused of gang involvement to the CECOT super-prison in El Salvador.
Critics argue these moves violate constitutional protections. In a recent interview, Trump appeared uncertain whether due process rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution actually apply to criminal suspects, prompting further alarm.
Under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, all persons in the U.S. are entitled to due process and equal protection under the law, regardless of citizenship.
Political reaction to the Alcatraz announcement was swift and scathing. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes the San Francisco Bay Area, dismissed the plan as unserious. California State Senator Scott Wiener called it “deeply unhinged” and “an attack on the rule of law.”
“This is not a policy proposal—it’s theater,” Wiener wrote on Instagram.
Despite the public outcry, Trump doubled down, telling reporters upon his return to the White House from a weekend in Florida that the idea was born out of his frustration with “radicalized judges” blocking his immigration enforcement efforts.
“Maybe it’s just an idea,” he said, “but it’s a symbol. A very strong one.”
Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock,” operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. It housed some of the most notorious criminals in American history, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Its inescapable reputation was solidified through pop culture portrayals, such as the films Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), Escape from Alcatraz (1979), and The Rock (1996).
Although no confirmed escapes were ever recorded, five inmates disappeared in a 1962 breakout and are presumed to have drowned—though their fate remains a subject of legend.
