Reopen The Rock? Trump's idea for Alcatraz has been tried before.


Reopen The Rock? Trump

Published 5 May 2025 For those who've seen any of the dozens of movies featuring Alcatraz over the years, just hearing the word conjures images of the 22-acre island in San Francisco Bay and its notorious former prison, closed down more than 60 years ago. Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage teamed up on there in the 1996 movie The Rock. It was also seen in 1969's "Escape From Alcatraz," with Clint Eastwood and was portrayed in the final battle scenes in X Men: Last Stand in 2006. So when President Donald Trump dropped the words "REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ" in a Truth Social post just before 7 p.m. on May 4, it quickly gathered interest. It's not the first time the idea has been floated to use the aging facilities to house detained immigrants. "It's a symbol of law and order," Trump said in response to a question from Reuters' reporter on Sunday night about what gave him the idea. "It's an idea I had," Trump told reporters in remarks later in the evening. "So many of these radicalized judges, they want to have trials for…every single person that's in our country illegally." "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," Trump said in the Truth Social post. "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." At the moment Alcatraz is a very popular national historic destination, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It attracts $60 million in revenue for park partners and attracts 1.6 million visitors a year, according to the National Park Service. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1986.