Fox News correspondent David Spunt interviews Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum inside Alcatraz Thursday. The exclusive interview took place during their tour of the decommissioned prison. (Fox News)
Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island’s potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.
The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior.
If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
"So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn’t about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz could be again," Spunt reported from the island. "They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for."
Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from "Alcatraces" after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala's 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means "pelican" or "strange bird."
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Alcatraz Island gets 1.5 million visitors yearly as a National Park. (Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative "the stupidest yet" from Trump.
The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken.
After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national parks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site.
Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom.
Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished.
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"This is Alcatraz," Burgum said. "The name still means something."
The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Jasmine is a writer at Fox News Digital and a military spouse. Stories can be sent to jasmine.baehr@fox.com or to @JasmineSBaehr via X.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/exclusive-trump-administration-eyes-alcatraz-reopening-house-nations-worst-worst