President Donald Trump announced Monday that his administration is exploring the reopening and renovation of one of America’s most infamous prisons: Alcatraz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump cited the Biden administration’s crime and open border policies as a driving reason for reviving the facility, which sits in the San Francisco Bay.
“Because of the Violence and Criminality I have seen due to the Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden, in particular allowing millions of people into our Country who shouldn’t be here,” Trump wrote, “I wanted something representative to show how we fight back.”
Trump noted that the inspiration came from a photograph.
“And then, it happened, I saw a picture of ALCATRAZ looking so foreboding,” he continued, “and I said, ‘We’re going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks.’”
He continued, “What a symbol it is, and will be!”
Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.01.25 02:30 PM EST pic.twitter.com/pMIxWH1I5o
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 1, 2025
According to the post, conceptual planning has been underway for half a year.
Trump concluded that “various prison development firms” have been seeking to work with him on the project, which he said was early in development but showed “lots of promise!”
Do you want to see Alcatraz reopened?
He did not specify whether the new Alcatraz would be used for illegal immigrants or for broader federal detention purposes.
Alcatraz, a 22-acre island just over a mile off the coast of San Francisco, operated as a federal penitentiary from 1934 to 1963.
It once held some of the nation’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the so-called “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
The prison’s isolated location and frigid waters made escape nearly impossible, and it has been the site of several blockbuster films.
Today, the island is a popular tourist destination and part of the National Park Service.
Trump’s critics have slammed him over the logistics of turning the historic landmark back into a functional prison.
Still, the president’s message struck a symbolic chord with many supporters, who praised the idea of reviving the “foreboding” fortress.
Prior to the Truth Social post, Trump visited the site of a new detention center project in the Florida Everglades, which Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and others deemed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
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