In a surprising move that has sparked immediate debate, former President Donald Trump announced late Sunday that he is ordering the reopening and expansion of Alcatraz, the infamous island prison off the coast of San Francisco that has been closed since 1963.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared: “I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”

Alcatraz, once a maximum-security prison known for housing notorious criminals such as Al Capone and Robert Stroud, was shut down due to crumbling infrastructure and the high cost of operation. Its remote location on an island meant that everything — from fuel to food — had to be transported by boat, driving up expenses.

Today, Alcatraz is a National Historic Landmark operated by the National Park Service, drawing over a million tourists each year who visit the site to explore its storied past. Transforming the landmark back into a functioning prison would require massive investments, especially at a time when the Bureau of Prisons has been closing facilities across the country due to similar infrastructure problems.

A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons issued a brief statement, confirming that the agency “will comply with all Presidential Orders.” However, the announcement has already sparked questions about the feasibility, legality, and costs of such a move, as well as the potential impact on California’s historic and tourism sectors.

Critics argue that the focus should be on reforming existing prison conditions rather than reopening an aging landmark, while supporters see the move as a symbolic tough-on-crime stance. Political analysts predict that Trump’s announcement will fuel further debate as the country heads into the next election cycle.

For now, the future of Alcatraz hangs in the balance — between its historic past and a potential new chapter as a modern fortress for America’s most dangerous criminals.