Trump Seeks $152 Million to Reopen Alcatraz Prison

President Donald Trump's 2027 fiscal year budget proposal includes a request for $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as a "state-of-the-art" prison facility.

The Details: These funds for reopening Alcatraz are included in a $1.7 billion proposed increase to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The $152 million would cover the first year of costs of rebuilding. Trump has suggested plans to reopen Alcatraz since early in his second term, and he posted on Truth Social in May 2025 calling to "REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!"

For Context: Alcatraz operated as a prison from 1934 until 1963, when it closed because it was too expensive to operate, according to the Bureau of Prisons website. The National Park Service currently runs it as a tourist site and museum that brings in $60 million in revenue annually.

How the Media Covered It: BBC (Center bias) described Alcatraz as "infamous" and "notorious" and highlighted pushback from politicians such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who criticized the high cost of restoring and running the prison as a "waste of taxpayer dollars." Fox News (Right) similarly noted Pelosi's criticism, writing that she "slammed" the proposal. CNN (Lean Left) wrote that the White House budget proposal is a "funding wish list that is rarely enacted in full by Congress," but that it can provide "insight into an administration's priorities."

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