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Exclusive: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island on Thursday. Attorney General Pam Bondy and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgham toured San Francisco’s infamous former prison at the direction of President Donald Trump.
This visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be used as a high-security federal detention center.
“This was the president’s idea,” explained White House press chief Caroline Leavitt during a White House briefing in Washington, D.C. “He spoke about it in May and instructed the administration to consider plans to reopen Alcatraz if possible.”
Trump pushes Alcatraz to resume, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a “distraction”
After Trump’s May 5 announcement that Alcatraz would reopen as a working prison, Bondi and Burgham joined Fox News correspondent David Spanto to visit “Rock” and assess the infrastructure of the 91-year-old former federal prison.
Visits, including walkthroughs in main cell blocks and walkthroughs in areas outside the limits, were usually closed to the public, but were fact-finding missions and were not official announcements of reopening.
Fox News correspondent David Spant will interview Attorney General Pambondy and Interior Secretary Dougbergham on Thursday, on Thursday. The exclusive interview took place during a tour of the abolished prison. (Fox News)
Bondi and Burgum spent several hours examining the crumbling infrastructure, debating the potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and its surrounding islands, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and supervisory staff, and worked together on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.
The island is managed by an NPS under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
If revitalized, it will be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“So many people remember Al Capone, but this is not about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz will become again,” Spanto reported from the island. “They, along with their superiors, the president, believe this may be a symbol of the law and order this administration is looking for.”
Alcatraz was a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, and originally served as a military prison in the 1850s. The name comes from “Alcatrasis” after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala’s 1775 expedition mission to the San Francisco Bay. The origin of the word influenced the debate, but the Prison Bureau claims it is likely that it would mean “pelican” or “strange bird.”
Legal experts say Trump can undoubtedly resume Alcatraz, but could face a “litigation avalanche.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondy will lead her through a restricted tunnel during a private tour of Alcatraz Island on Thursday. (Fox News)
As a federal prison, Alcatraz had more than 150 staff and their families, in addition to the maximum capacity of 336 inmates. At its peak in the early 1960s, prison operating costs per inmates exceeded $10 per day, nearly twice the national average, according to data from the Bureau of Prisons.
“This is a great facility,” Bondi said. “It requires a lot of work, but no one knows he will survive by fleeing Alcatraz.”
Bondy told Fox News that prisons could theoretically hold many offenders, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens.” She highlighted the symbolic value of isolation and reputation for strict control.
Burgum said the goal is to assess the likelihood of restoring Alcatraz to its original use.
“It’s federal property. Its original use was in prison. We’re here to see if it serves that purpose again,” he said.
The islands of San Franciso Bay pose serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has direct electricity or water lines more than a mile away from mainland California, and once had ferries with more than a million gallons of water per month. Repairs also require major upgrades to meet the latest code, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations, environmental regulations, prison and federal court approvals.
The DOJ wrote this week to California sheriffs seeking information about undocumented immigrants being released from state prisons. Administration officials told Fox News Digital that the letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, but were not directly related to the Alcatraz review.
Alcatraz is a national park that attracts 1.5 million visitors each year. (San Francisco Chronicle via Lee Suzuki/Getty Images)
Not everyone is on board. Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker of San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative “silly yet” from Trump.
The administration has not released a timeline for decisions. Bondi and Burgum report their findings to the President before taking formal action.
After being closed in 1963 due to high costs and collapsed infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is currently one of the most visited national parks in the country, attracting over 1.5 million tourists a year. Its popularity can be a factor in the decision to return it to a safe fix site.
Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Prison Bureau claims that the fugitive never reached freedom.
Officials believe that the high currents of frigid cold may have claimed the lives of those who have disappeared.
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“This is Alcatraz,” Burgham said. “The name still means something.”
DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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