Trump Seeks $152 Million to Transform Alcatraz Back Into Federal Prison
President Donald Trump is calling on Congress to allocate $152 million to begin the process of reopening Alcatraz Island as a modern federal prison. The request was revealed in a proposed 2027 budget submission released by the White House on April 3, 2026.
The plan aims to convert the historic San Francisco Bay landmark, which currently serves as a National Park Service tourist attraction drawing over 1 million visitors annually, into a “state-of-the-art” maximum-security facility. Even as the initial $152 million request is intended to cover first-year project costs and planning, total estimates for rebuilding the prison facility are projected at approximately $2 billion.
The proposal marks a formal step toward a goal the president first announced in May 2025. Following a visit to the island on May 4, 2025, Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons to develop a reconstruction plan. In a Truth Social post on that date, the president stated that the reopening of Alcatraz would “serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”
“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,” Trump posted. “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.”
The initiative has met with immediate and sharp criticism from California officials. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi described the plan as a “stupid notion” and a “waste of taxpayer dollars,” arguing that the reconstruction of the site would turn a public museum into a “political prop.”
Similarly, a spokesperson for Governor Newsom called the project “stupid,” while State Senator Scott Wiener labeled the attempt to spend $2 billion on the project as the “epitome of waste, fraud, and abuse,” citing the damage it would do to a globally popular attraction.
The proposal to repurpose a world-famous historical landmark for penal use reflects a significant shift in federal justice priorities and highlights the tension between national security objectives and historical preservation. This development could influence future debates over federal spending and the management of National Park Service properties.
The project has already seen preliminary movement; former Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the site last summer as part of the restoration of the symbol. While the White House has signaled its intent, Congress is not required to approve the funding request.
If successful, the facility would be dedicated to housing what the administration describes as high-risk offenders, effectively returning the island to its mid-20th-century role as a maximum-security stronghold.
The White House budget request for reopening the prison remains subject to congressional approval.
