Overview

• President Trump announced plans to reopen and enlarge Alcatraz to house the nation's most violent criminals, calling it a symbol of law and order.
• The Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Interior Department have been instructed to execute the project, but no detailed plan or budget has been released.
• Alcatraz, closed in 1963 due to high operational costs, currently operates as a tourist attraction and is managed by the National Park Service.
• Critics question the practicality and expense of reviving the isolated facility, which historically cost three times more to operate than other federal prisons.
• The move aligns with Trump's broader hardline criminal justice and immigration policies, including the January order to expand Guantánamo Bay for migrant detention.