The US president, Donald Trump, announced this Sunday that he has ordered the reopening and expansion of the Alcatraz maximum security prison, where he intends to house the “most violent” criminals in the United States.
In a message in his social Truth account, the president reported that he has ordered the Federal Prison Office (BOP), which together with the Department of Justice, the Department of Internal Security and the FBI, work to reopen the maximum security prison that closed more than 60 years ago.
“We will not tolerate those repeat offenders who sow rot, bloodshed and chaos in our streets,” Trump said.
Located on the island of Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco (California), the maximum security prison worked from 1934 to 1963.
The prison with an extension of 2.01 km² closed a year after three men escaped and disappeared, history that has inspired several Hollywood films.
However, the BOP said that the closure was due to the high expenses, the maintenance of the prison cost between 3 and 5 million dollars.
Since then, Alcatraz has been one of San Francisco’s greatest tourist attractions (California).
Trump had already suggested last January that Alcatraz should be reopened. The comments of the US President were given after signing an order to send immigrants with alleged criminal record to Guantanamo.
In his message today, the president also suggested that undocumented immigrants could be sent to Alcatraz when reopening.
“We will not be hostages of criminals, thugs and judges who fear doing their job and allow us to expel criminals who entered our country illegally,” said the US president.
Trump has repeatedly complained about the failures that have prevented immigrants with alleged criminal record for the Megacárcel Center for Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador.
Last March, the United States sent the CECOT to more than 200 immigrants mostly Venezuelans, accusing them of belonging to the Criminal Band Train of Aragua, which has cost multiple demands that qualify the imprisonment of immigrants as unconstitutional.
