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EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation’s ‘worst of the worst’
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EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California’s San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump.
The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center.
“This was an idea of the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. “He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible.”
TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A ‘DISTRACTION’
After Trump’s May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit “the Rock” to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison’s infrastructure.
The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening.
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.”
LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE ‘AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS’
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi listens as a National Park Service official leads her through a restricted tunnel during a private tour of Alcatraz Island Thursday. (Fox News)
Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison’s operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data.
“This is a terrific facility,” Bondi said. “It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive.”
Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens.” She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.
Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use.
“It’s a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We’re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again,” he said.
The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts.
The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review.
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 historic landmarks 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.
“This is Alcatraz,” Burgum said. “The name still means something.”
The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Dr. Miriam Adelson and Mark Davis, two leaders at the forefront of keeping Las Vegas a world-leading tourist destination, were recognized Thursday with induction into the Nevada Business Hall of Fame.
Adelson, a philanthropist and the top shareholder of her family’s companies, and Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and the Las Vegas Aces, were honored at a dinner at The Venetian Expo that also celebrated UNLV’s Lee Business School and its transformation into one of the leading cultivators of Nevada business leadership.
Adelson is the top shareholder of Las Vegas Sands Corp., the market leader of the casino industry in the Chinese enclave of Macao and the operator of the iconic Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. Sands also built and operated The Venetian and Palazzo and on the Strip before selling the integrated resort earlier this decade.
Adelson’s family also owns the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Hebrew-language Israel Hayom newspaper in Israel. She leads the Adelson Family Foundation, the Adelson Clinic for Drug Abuse Treatment and Research and is a medical doctor who once served as the chief internist in an emergency room at Tel Aviv.
Joining Adelson in Thursday’s induction ceremonies was Davis, who moved the Raiders to Las Vegas from Oakland, California, enabling the construction of Allegiant Stadium. He also purchased the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, who’ve won the league championship three times in the past four years.
Bringing the NFL
to Las Vegas
Davis began his efforts to relocate the Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2016 and worked with Adelson’s husband, the late Sheldon Adelson, to secure hotel room-tax funding for Allegiant Stadium. Although the Adelsons and Davis ultimately ended their stadium partnership, the team completed the project and began playing in Las Vegas in 2020.
In introductory remarks, former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst, interim vice president of philanthropy and alumni engagement and interim president of the UNLV Foundation, noted that while many didn’t see building a stadium as a wise investment for the state, Allegiant Stadium has become the leading large venue for sports and concerts.
Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Azzi, president of the IXs Foundation, applauded Davis as one of the leading advocates for women’s sports. She said Davis was insistent on paying women higher salaries.
“I’m honored, yet humbled to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Davis said.
In his presentation, Davis thanked Nevadans who helped the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas: the Adelsons, former Wynn Resorts executive Steve Wynn; MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle and his predecessor, Jim Murren; former Las Vegas Mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman; former Govs. Steve Sisolak and Brian Sandoval and current Gov. Joe Lombardo.
Rethinking business travel
Adelson recalled how she and her late husband saw Las Vegas as more than just a city for gambling, but as an ideal destination for conventions and trade shows.
She paid tribute to Sheldon Adelson, who founded Las Vegas Sands, and his vision of building integrated resorts that catered to business travelers as well as tourists. And she credited her background in medicine for helping her find her voice.
Adelson shared that as a host for conventioneers, they made sure there were plenty of outlets for electronic devices in every hotel suite, which set The Venetian apart from other resorts.
She urged UNLV students in attendance to follow the advice of her late husband — who learned business “on the streets” and not in college — and learn all they could about marketing and finance.
The Adelsons and Davis were instrumental in jump-starting sports tourism in Southern Nevada, widely recognized as a key means for bringing millions of visitors to the city to attend games and mega-events, resulting in billions of dollars in economic impact.
Additional honorees
Sponsored by UNLV’s Lee Business School, the Nevada Business Hall of Fame celebrates outstanding individuals who have shaped Nevada’s economic landscape and enriched its communities. Organizers say each inductee embodies the essence of Nevada’s entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrating innovation, resilience, unwavering dedication and an impact that resonates beyond their industries.
Two others were recognized for their business achievements at the event, attended by more than 400 people.
The Lieder Award, which recognizes exceptional leadership, entrepreneurship and contributions to real estate development, was presented to Alan Molasky, chairman of Ovation Development Corp.
In addition, Rick Crawford, the founder and president of the 50-store Green Valley Grocery chain of convenience stores, was honored with Entrepreneur of the Year.
More than 5,000 students attend the Lee Business School, which is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
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