President Donald Trump announced early Sunday evening that he was directing his administration to rebuild and reopen the notorious island prison Alcatraz, located just over a mile off the California coast near San Francisco.
Trump delivered the announcement in a post to his Truth Social platform, saying in part that he wanted to use the prison — once it was renovated and expanded — to help house criminal illegal aliens if the Democrats’ carefully-shopped district court judges continue to block his efforts to deport them.
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” Trump’s post began. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.”
“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. That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” he continued. “No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, 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, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
“We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally,” Trump concluded. “The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 4, 2025
Trump followed that with a photo of the island prison — known as “The Rock” — in its heyday.
The United States gained control of Alcatraz in 1848, and it was initially commissioned as a military installation by President Millard Fillmore. The construction of Fort Alcatraz was completed by 1858, and for 76 years, it was used primarily to house prisoners of war. From 1910 to 1912, prisoners rebuilt the entire prison — which was initially constructed out of wood — in concrete, at which point it was renamed “the Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks for the U.S. Army.”
In 1933, the prison was transferred from the military to the Federal Bureau of Prisons — and from 1934-1963, “The Rock” was home to worst of the worst. Al Capone, “the Birdman of Alcatraz” (Robert Franklin Stroud), and George “Machinegun” Kelly were among those who spent time behind its walls.
In the 29 years that it was a functioning federal prison, 34 inmates attempted to escape. Of those, six were shot, 23 were captured, and 2 were confirmed to have drowned in the attempt. Five more were lost at sea and presumed to have drowned. Only one prisoner — John Paul Scott, in 1962 — successfully completed the swim to shore, but he collapsed under the Golden Gate Bridge due to hypothermia and was quickly recaptured.
President John F. Kennedy closed Alcatraz in 1963, arguing that it was too expensive to keep it open.
