President Donald Trump announced plans to reopen Alcatraz, a notorious prison in San Francisco, to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
The big picture: In a statement on Truth Social, Trump expressed his concern about violent and repeat criminal offenders, emphasizing the need to keep dangerous criminals away from society.
- The Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security will collaborate to reopen and expand Alcatraz as a facility for housing violent offenders.
- Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock,” was closed in 1963 due to infrastructure issues and high maintenance costs associated with its island location.
- The prison, famous for housing notorious criminals like Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, has since become a tourist site managed by the National Park Service and designated a National Historic Landmark.
Go deeper: Trump cited frustration with “radicalized judges” as motivation for the plan to reopen Alcatraz, aiming to address the legal challenges associated with prosecuting illegal immigrants.
- While the Bureau of Prisons expressed readiness to comply with the presidential order, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the idea, highlighting the transformation of Alcatraz into a popular tourist destination.
- Previously, Trump had ordered the reopening of a detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to accommodate illegal immigrants facing deportation challenges.
- Under the Alien Enemies Act, accused Venezuelan gang members were sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador as part of the administration’s efforts to address immigration issues.
- Border Czar Tom Homan reported that the Trump administration had carried out 139,000 deportations of illegal immigrants since taking office.
