Trump Calls for Alcatraz Reopening, Expansion to House “Most Ruthless” Criminals

In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump called for the reopening and expansion of Alcatraz, the infamous former prison located on an island in San Francisco Bay, to house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent offenders,” Fox News reports.

Trump stated that for too long, America has been “plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders,” whom he described as “the dregs of society.” He argued that in the past, America “did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals,” and he intends to reinstate this approach.

“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” the president wrote. “No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.”

Trump said he is directing the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security to reopen a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz, “to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.” He also cited undocumented migrants who commit crimes as another reason for the need for a larger prison.

“We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally,” he said in the post. “The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Alcatraz, known for its near-impregnable location 1.25 miles from shore, operated as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963. During that time, the prison saw 14 documented escape attempts, the most famous being the 1962 attempt by John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris, which inspired the film “Escape from Alcatraz.” The three prisoners chiseled an escape route from their jail cells and constructed papier-mâché heads as decoys. The fate of the escapees remains unknown, with the FBI concluding they likely drowned in the bay’s harsh conditions.

Its notorious inmates included gangsters Al Capone, James “Whitey” Bulger, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, as well as Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz,” and Alvin Karpis, dubbed “Public Enemy No. 1.”

The prison was ultimately closed due to its high operating costs compared to mainland facilities.