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The White House on Friday requested $152 million to begin reopening Alcatraz as an operational prison.
The funding proposal, included in the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, would cover the initial phase of rebuilding the long-closed facility into what officials describe as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.”
Congress will ultimately decide ultimately decide whether to approve the funding.
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President Donald Trump addresses the nation at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool via Reuters)
President Donald Trump first pushed the idea last year, directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to reopen and expand Alcatraz to detain what he called America’s “most ruthless and violent offenders.”
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” the president said in a Truth Social post last May. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.
Located in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz has been closed since 1963 and currently operates as a popular tourist destination under the National Park Service.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., slammed the proposal in a post on X on Friday.
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A general view of Alcatraz Island near San Francisco, California, on Aug. 16, 2024. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)
“Rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is a stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people,” Pelosi wrote. “Alcatraz is a historic museum that belongs to the public, and San Franciscans will not stand for Washington turning one of our most iconic landmarks into a political prop.”
Originally opened as a federal prison in 1934, Alcatraz was widely considered one of the most secure facilities in the country.
The prison once housed notorious criminals including mob boss Al Capone.
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Gangster Alphonse “Al” Capone poses for a mugshot upon his arrival at the Federal Penitentiary at Alcatraz in San Francisco, Calif., on Aug. 22, 1934. (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Alcatraz first served as a military prison in the 1850s. At its peak, the facility held more than 300 inmates, along with staff and their families.
Despite its reputation, Alcatraz was ultimately shut down because of high operating costs.
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According to the Bureau of Prisons, it was nearly three times more expensive to run than other federal prisons at the time.
The White House and the Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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