President Donald Trump has announced plans to reopen the infamous Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco to incarcerate the country’s most dangerous and violent criminals. The facility, which closed more than 60 years ago, is set to be revived as part of a broader push to crack down on repeat offenders and illegal immigrants involved in serious crimes.
In a statement posted on TruthSocial, the social media platform he founded, Trump declared, “For too long, America has suffered from cruel, violent, repeat offenders, the scum of society who will contribute nothing but pain and suffering.” He added, “In the past, when we were a more serious nation, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals and keep them far from anyone they could harm.”
Trump directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons, in coordination with the Department of Justice and the FBI, to “massively expand, reopen, and rebuild Alcatraz.” He framed the move as a necessary step in restoring law and order, stating, “We will no longer be held hostage by judges who refuse to let us remove criminals, vicious criminals, and criminals who have entered our country illegally, and who are not doing their job.”
The former president said the revamped prison would serve as “a symbol of law, order and justice.”
Alcatraz, located on a rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, originally operated as a military prison during the Civil War and later became a high-security federal penitentiary in the 1930s. It once housed some of America’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Whitey Bulger. The prison was closed in 1963 due to high operational costs and is currently managed by the National Park Service as a popular tourist destination.
Trump’s plan marks a dramatic shift in criminal justice policy and is expected to draw both strong support and significant opposition from lawmakers, legal experts, and civil rights advocates.