The News
Congressional Republicans don’t know how it will work — but President Donald Trump’s proposal to reopen Alcatraz is gaining some steam with them.
“It’s an interesting idea. It’s surrounded by, I think, sharks in the bay,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told Semafor, adding: “I don’t have the details yet but it’s not a bad idea to put some of the worst offenders” there.
Trump aides say the idea isn’t new, though it’s unclear exactly when it came about. The concept may have started with Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son: In January, he floated the idea on X after the president announced an executive order to prepare Guantanamo Bay to house migrants.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., called it a “great idea” but wasn’t quite sure if Congress would need to send more funding to the project to get it done.
“The president said it. If they want to do it, we’ll look into it,” Mullin told Semafor.
Trump says that, once reopened, Alcatraz will house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders” — though he also tied the announcement to legal pushback against his deportation efforts, suggesting the administration may seek to house “criminals” who entered the country illegally.
“It represents something very strong, very powerful, in terms of law and order. Our country needs law and order,” Trump told reporters Monday.
Notably, Alcatraz shut down as a prison in 1963, in part because it cost more to operate than traditional penitentiaries. Many questions remain: The Trump administration hasn’t yet detailed proposed costs to reopen Alcatraz, or a timeline for expanding and opening the facility.
The Bureau of Prisons, alongside the Justice Department, FBI, and Homeland Security, is expected to work on the new project.