One of the most feared, problematic, and iconic prisons in the United States is reopening its doors 62 years later. Alcatraz, the maximum-security prison that was closed in 1963, will operate again under direct orders from President Trump. Located off the coast of San Francisco, it housed the country’s most “important” criminals and became famous precisely because of its harsh detention conditions. Alcatraz is back, and it returns with the same goal: to hold the most dangerous criminals in the country.
Trump himself has requested its reopening, and his words have not gone unnoticed: “When we were a more serious Nation, we didn’t hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals and keep them away from anyone they could harm. That’s how it should be. The reopening of Alcatraz will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and Justice,” said the president. But… what does it mean for Alcatraz to be operational again? We’ll explain it below.
A return… expected?
Trump says that the old days were better, and that in the past, when someone threatened the country’s integrity, they were locked up without hesitation. That’s why he has contacted the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. His intention is clear: he wants Alcatraz to be a reality again.
But of course, it’s Trump, and he doesn’t make moves without a reason. The return of Alcatraz is neither random nor symbolic, it’s a warning about the migration he calls “illegal.” According to his own words, the president has made it clear that they are going to do what the judges are afraid of: expel criminals who entered the country illegally.
What kind of inmates will go to the island?
Not just any criminal will go to Alcatraz, only “the most ruthless in the country”. But of course, he’s also tied the issue to migration, and many groups have understood that Alcatraz could end up being a “concentration camp” for undocumented migrants.
Others, citing data from ICE and the FBI, have pointed out that the percentage of undocumented migrants is 0.20% of the total population, while the percentage of citizen residents is 2.28% of the total population. Maybe the president missed those numbers, but the doubt remains clear: will only migrants go to Alcatraz?
Trump himself has described the future inmates as “the most ruthless criminals” in the country. Inmates with histories of violence, repeat offenses, and extreme risk would be the main candidates to be transferred to this renewed Alcatraz.
What is Alcatraz?
This peculiar name belonged to a federal maximum-security prison that was active from the 1930s until 1963, when it was shut down due to the high cost of keeping it running, especially because it’s located on an island (to make it impossible to escape). Its main purpose was to isolate and reform the most dangerous criminals: maximum isolation, maximum control. Strict schedules and practically no contact with the outside world. Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and public enemy number one Alvin “Creepy” Karpis were, for example, held there.
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