Trump Seeks $152 Million to Begin to Turn Alcatraz Back Into a Prison
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- President Trump has requested $152 million in the 2027 fiscal year budget to begin transforming Alcatraz back into a maximum-security prison, an idea he first proposed on social media last year.
- The budget proposal includes $5 billion for the Bureau of Prisons to improve detention facilities nationwide, with the Alcatraz project representing the initial phase of a larger, costly restoration effort.
- The plan faces significant opposition in San Francisco, where tourism is vital and Alcatraz is a major attraction; the island is currently in disrepair with no infrastructure to support a prison.
- San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has dismissed the proposal as "not a serious proposal," reflecting local resistance to reopening Alcatraz as a prison.
