President Trump floats idea of reopening Alcatraz prison
President Donald Trump floated the idea of reopening and expanding the infamous Alcatraz prison as he expressed frustration with judges.
Earlier this month, President Trump said he wants to reopen and expand Alcatraz prison in order to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
Trump has since directed administrative officials open Alcatraz, which is a former prison located on a 22-acre island in San Francisco Bay.
The notorious prison closed on March 21, 1963, mostly due to high operating costs, difficult maintenance and escape concerns.
Why does Trump want to reopen Alcatraz?
On May 4, Trump posted on Truth Social, which is a social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group, “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ.”
Trump is now directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security to open and enlarge the aging facility to house detained immigrants, USA Today reported.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said that the agency “will comply with all Presidential Orders,” however, they did not elaborate on the practicality and feasibility of reopening Alcatraz. Nor did the agency spokesperson provide answers regarding the agency’s future role in reforming the prison, since the National Park Service is in control of the island, CBS News reported.
Trump has said Alcatraz is a “symbol of law and order” and he had the idea to reopen the island after judges have insisted that deportees received due process. “So many of these radicalized judges, they want to have trials for… every single person that’s in our country illegally,” said Trump according to USA Today.
While Trump wishes to reopen Alcatraz as a way to avoid giving detainees due process, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments within the U.S. Constitution guarantee due process to all individuals within the U.S., including non-citizens and immigrants, whether their presence is legal or not, says Constitutions Annotated.
Presley Bo Tyler is a reporter for the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team for Gannett/USA Today. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett
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