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Is Trump Proposing to Reopen Alcatraz to House Migrants and Legal Critics? Yes, recent reports indicate that President Donald Trump announced on May 4, 2025, via his Truth Social platform, that he is directing the Bureau of Prisons, along with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen and expand Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay. The stated purpose is to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.” While the primary focus appears to be on violent criminals, Trump’s announcement and related posts suggest that illegal migrants could also be sent to the facility, particularly in response to judicial resistance to deportations. For instance, he mentioned frustration with “radicalized judges” who insist on due process for migrants, and some posts on X, like one from @Pro__Trading, imply that illegal immigrants might be detained there if deportation is blocked. However, there is no explicit mention in the provided sources of housing “legal critics” at Alcatraz. The suggestion that American citizens, including legal critics, could be sent there or to foreign prisons appears speculative and tied to Trump’s broader comments about overcoming legal challenges to his policies. Critics, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson, have dismissed the proposal as impractical, noting Alcatraz’s current status as a National Park Service site and its high operational costs when it was closed in 1963. The feasibility of reopening Alcatraz is questioned due to its deteriorated infrastructure and the significant costs—estimated at over $100 million for repairs—along with its current role as a major tourist attraction. The idea seems to have been initially floated by Donald Trump Jr. following an executive order to send migrants to Guantanamo Bay.