Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Attorney General Pam Bondi Visit Alcatraz Island

07/17/2025
Last edited 07/17/2025
Contact Information

Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

Statement from Interior Press:

Today, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited Alcatraz Island in San Francisco, California in accordance with President Donald J. Trump's directive to assess reopening the notorious prison to house the most dangerous and violent criminals.

As a National Park Service site, Alcatraz is overseen by the Department of the Interior. The former prison was home to some of America's most infamous criminals. In May, President Trump called for a review to explore reopening the prison to house criminal illegal immigrants and other dangerous criminals as he continues to restore justice and Make America Safe Again.

The Secretary was joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi and officials from the Bureau of Prisons as part of Interior's partnership with the Department of Justice to help lead the president's mission and restore law and order in our country. During the visit, Burgum and Bondi toured the mid-19th century building, visiting the dock, power station, and industry building. The Secretary and AG also toured the cell block that housed Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, viewed an overlook of the Parade Grounds onsite and gave an exclusive interview to Fox News. 

The trip to California comes amid the Trump administration's efforts to reverse the damage done by the Biden administration to The Golden State after residents experienced increases in violent crime, property crime, and robberies because of the policies of the previous administration and state officials that let criminals walk free.

Their visit also highlights the Trump administration's ongoing commitment to enforcing law and order to the fullest extent and ensuring our streets are free of violent criminals. The trip comes just weeks after the signing of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill, landmark legislation that makes the largest border security investment in years and ensures our borders are permanently secure. 

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