SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12, 2018: Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay is the home of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Now a museum, the prison (often referred to as 'The Rock') is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The federal prison was in operation from 1934 until 1963. The former penitentiary is the most popular tourist attraction in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
San Francisco, California – In a head-spinning announcement on his Truth Social platform Sunday, former President Donald Trump declared his intention to reopen and dramatically expand Alcatraz—the long-shuttered maximum-security prison turned historic landmark and tourist destination just off the coast of San Francisco. The proposal, which many experts and lawmakers have dismissed as unserious and legally implausible, has reignited concerns over Trump’s rhetoric on crime and punishment—and his apparent disregard for logistical and constitutional constraints.
“Today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ,” Trump wrote. He claimed the prison would house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders,” positioning the move as a symbolic stand for “law, order, and justice.”
The reaction from officials and legal scholars was swift—and incredulous.
“This is not a serious proposal,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes Alcatraz Island. “Alcatraz is a cherished national park and a vital part of San Francisco’s cultural and economic fabric. Turning it back into a prison is not just absurd—it’s unworkable.”
Indeed, the very idea of resurrecting the facility raises enormous logistical questions. The prison, which closed in 1963 due to crumbling infrastructure and astronomical operating costs, would require a complete rebuild to meet modern standards. Located on an isolated island in the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison even in its heyday.
“There are plenty of empty beds in existing federal prisons,” said Professor Gabriel Jack Chin of UC Davis School of Law. “There’s no practical justification for this.”
The facility currently operates as a top tourist destination under the management of the National Park Service and is a designated National Historic Landmark. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the President’s directive but declined to comment on how the agency would reconcile it with existing agreements and legal ownership of the island.
Critics view the proposal as yet another Trump spectacle—an attempt to project toughness while bypassing legal norms. In recent months, Trump has clashed with federal courts over attempts to deport alleged gang members without due process, and he has floated ideas of sending U.S. citizens to foreign prisons, including a detention center in El Salvador and Guantanamo Bay.
Legal experts warn such proposals not only challenge domestic law but risk violating international human rights treaties.
“This sounds more like the plot of a dystopian action movie than an actual policy proposal,” said State Senator Scott Wiener, who called the idea “deeply unhinged.”
With the federal prison system in flux—riddled with staffing shortages, scandals, and budget cuts—the idea of pouring billions into resurrecting a defunct prison island seems less like a crime policy and more like a desperate political stunt.
