President Donald Trump is requesting $152 million to begin converting Alcatraz Island from a National Historic Landmark back into an active federal penitentiary, according to the White House fiscal year 2027 budget proposal released Friday.
The funding request marks the first formal step in a controversial plan to transform the San Francisco Bay tourist attraction into what the administration describes as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.” If approved by Congress, the $152 million would cover the first year of reconstruction for the site, which has been closed for 63 years.
President Donald Trump is seeking $152 million to cover the first year of costs to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as a secure facility. https://t.co/HW6YISRLyE pic.twitter.com/lw1sRGNevk
— CNN (@CNN) April 3, 2026
The proposal is part of a broader $5 billion request for the Bureau of Prisons aimed at addressing “crumbling detention facilities” nationwide, according to Reuters.
The proposal includes $152 million for Alcatraz and is part of a broader $5 billion request for the Bureau of Prisons in fiscal year 2027.
The administration’s push to reactivate Alcatraz follows a vision Trump, 79, first signaled in May 2025. In social media posts, the president argued that the facility, notorious for its harsh conditions, symbolizes a return to a “more serious” era of American justice.
“No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump wrote, stating his intent to house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent offenders” on the island.
REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! 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. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate… pic.twitter.com/u1jOCMXeW5
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2025
The Bureau of Prisons originally shuttered the facility in 1963, citing exorbitant maintenance costs and logistical challenges. At the time of its closure, operating Alcatraz was three times more expensive than any other federal prison. Recent inspections show the site has suffered decades of water damage, rust, and structural deterioration.
The plan faces immediate opposition from California leaders and preservationists who highlight the island’s role as a vital economic engine for San Francisco.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., vowing to block the funding in Congress, called the project a “waste of taxpayer dollars” and an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.”
While the administration began preliminary restoration assessments last July following a site visit by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, critics argue the high costs of island logistics remain a disqualifying factor for a modern correctional facility.
The debate over the island’s future now moves to Congress, where the high cost and potential impact on San Francisco tourism are expected to face scrutiny during budget negotiations. The outcome will determine whether “The Rock” remains a historic site or becomes part of the administration’s correctional strategy.
