Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison

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In a dramatic callback to America’s penal past, U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz — the infamous island penitentiary once home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals.

“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” Trump declared Sunday on Truth Social. “When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm.”

The order, issued Sunday, directs the Bureau of Prisons, along with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security, to collaborate on reopening what Trump described as a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” version of the prison.

Speaking to reporters after returning to the White House from Florida, Trump said, “It’s just an idea I’ve had,” adding, “It’s a symbol of law and order.”

Located in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was once deemed America’s most escape-proof prison — housing infamous inmates such as Al Capone — before it was shuttered in 1963 due to high operational costs. Today, it is a major tourist destination and part of the National Park Service.

The proposal was quickly dismissed by California Democrat and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who wrote on X: “Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one.”

Alcatraz’s legacy of high-security isolation remains powerful in the public imagination — but reviving it as a federal penitentiary would face steep logistical, environmental, and political hurdles. Still, Trump’s announcement fits into a broader law-and-order theme he’s pushed in recent months as part of his 2024 campaign platform.