Two federal officers toured the notorious Alcatraz penitentiary within the San Francisco Bay early Thursday morning as a part of the Trump administration’s effort to reopen the notorious island jail, a transfer that critics say could be dearer than constructing a brand new jail.
U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and Inside Secretary Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz earlier than the push of vacationers walked into the now-shuttered island jail, and officers mentioned the 2 deliberate to make an official announcement that may air on Fox Information.
However critics of the Trump administration have known as the trouble a stunt and a distraction, with former Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi referring to the go to and the push to reopen the jail as “the Trump Administration’s stupidest initiative but.” Pelosi’s district consists of the island and adjoining San Francisco.
“Make no mistake: this stupidity is a diversionary tactic to attract consideration away from this Administration’s cruelest actions but of their Huge, Ugly Legislation, which takes meals from kids and rips well being care from tens of millions to offer tax breaks to billionaires,” Pelosi mentioned in a press release, referring to the not too long ago handed “Huge Lovely Invoice” handed by Congress. “It stays to be seen how this Administration might presumably afford to spend billions to transform and preserve Alcatraz as a jail when they’re already including trillions of {dollars} to the nationwide debt.”
President Trump has pushed for the reopening of jail for months now, saying in a social media put up that doing so could be a “image of Legislation, Order and JUSTICE.”
Trump, in response to the put up, mentioned the construction would home the nation’s “most ruthless and violent” offenders.
Alcatraz, a preferred vacationer attraction, closed as a jail in 1963 after federal officers mentioned it was too costly to function.
(Justin Sullivan / Getty Photographs)
A Justice Division spokesperon mentioned Bondi and Burgum had been set to get a briefing on the power as a part of their go to, and could be assembly with Nationwide Park Police and different officers about what planning could be essential to rehabilitate and reopen the power as a jail as soon as once more.
At present, the previous jail serves as a preferred vacationer attraction for guests to San Francisco.
Initially opened in 1934, the jail closed its doorways to convicts in 1963 after federal officers decided it was too expensive to function.
In line with the Bureau of Prisons, the jail was roughly 3 times extra expensive to function than some other jail within the nation, principally due to its location on a 22-acre island.
The necessity to ship in provides, together with meals and contemporary water for guards, operators and prisoners, implies that it could be cheaper to open a brand new facility than to function Alcatraz.
For greater than 5 many years now, the jail has functioned as a museum below the administration of the Nationwide Park Service.
For Alcatraz to function as soon as once more as a jail, Congress must cross laws to take away Nationwide Environmental Coverage Act and Historic Preservation Act necessities for the world.
If reopened, the power would additionally should be transferred again to the Bureau of Prisons for operation.
Native officers and Democrats have voiced sturdy opposition to reopening the power as a jail.
In a social media put up Thursday, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie criticized the Trump administration’s effort.
“There isn’t any sensible plan for Alcatraz to host anybody apart from guests,” he mentioned on X. “If the federal authorities has billions of {dollars} to spend in San Francisco, we might use that funding to maintain our streets protected and clear and assist our economic system get well.”
Pelosi, in her assertion, additionally mentioned efforts to reopen Alcatraz would face stiff opposition in Congress.
“Ought to purpose not prevail and Republicans deliver this absurdity earlier than the Congress, Democrats will use each parliamentary and budgetary tactic obtainable to cease the lunacy,” Pelosi mentioned in a press release.
