Trump similarly announced an effort in March to detain immigrants he’s seeking to deport in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, but concerns about the legality and the cost of the move have led the administration to reconsider the plan.
The Bureau of Prisons operates at least 120 federal institutions and manages a population of 156,254 people.
It is unclear how feasible the move is considering ongoing budget constraints at the Bureau of Prisons, which told a union representing some of its staff members in December that it planned to close several facilities.
Alcatraz closed as a penitentiary in 1963, according to the Bureau of Prisons, because of expensive operating costs further heightened by the physical isolation of the island, which meant all food and supplies had to be delivered by boat.
“An estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open. That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,” the Bureau of Prisons wrote of the penitentiary’s closing.
Nearly a decade later, in 1972, Congress established the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, which included Alcatraz Island. The complex opened to the public a year later, and it has gone on to become among the most popular National Park Service sites, according to the agency, hosting more than 1 million visitors annually.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House speaker, whose district includes the island, said Trump’s proposal “is not a serious one,” noting on X that it is now “a major tourist attraction.”
A spokesperson for California Gov. Gavin Newsom also downplayed the legitimacy of the idea.
“Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.,” said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, Newsom’s deputy director of communication.
