President Donald Trump has announced plans to rebuild and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison, more than six decades after it was closed.
In a post on his Truth Social account on Sunday, Trump stated that he is “directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ” to accommodate the US’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders”.
Addressing reporters at the White House following a weekend trip to Florida, the president explained that this initiative was “just an idea I’ve had” in response to frustration with “radicalised judges” who, he claims, insist that deportees receive constitutional protections, as reported by Al Jazeera.
“It’s a symbol of law and order,” he asserted.
This announcement comes as Trump’s administration is encountering mounting legal challenges related to the application of an 18th-century law that permits the deportation of individuals without due process.
Originally enacted during wartime, this law has been utilised by the administration to justify the deportation of alleged gang members and criminals. Furthermore, Trump has “repeatedly floated the legally dubious idea” of transferring US citizens convicted of violent crimes to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, known as CECOT.
In a recent interview, the president remarked that he “didn’t know” whether people in the US are entitled to due process rights. It is important to note that the US Constitution guarantees such rights under the Fifth Amendment, while the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits states from denying “equal protection of the laws”.
Alcatraz, which operated from 1934 to 1963, was once considered the most secure prison in the United States due to its isolation on an island surrounded by treacherous waters and strong currents. Although 36 men attempted to escape in 14 separate incidents, no successful escapes were ever officially documented, with five prisoners listed as “missing and presumed drowned”.
The facility was ultimately closed due to deteriorating infrastructure and exorbitant operational costs, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons reporting that it was nearly three times more expensive to run than any other federal prison at the time.
Currently, Alcatraz Island is managed by the National Park Service and draws over a million tourists annually, having been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whose congressional district includes Alcatraz, has condemned the proposal, stating, “It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one,” she wrote on X.
