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Exclusive: Fox News was granted access to Alkatraz Island on Thursday as US Attorney General Palm Bondi and Internal Secretary Dag Bergam visited the notorious former jail in San Francisco Bay, California under the direction of President Donald Trump.
The journey was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be used as a high-protection federal detention center.
“It was the President’s idea,” White House Press Secretary Karolin Levit During the White House briefing at Washington, DC on Thursday, he spoke about it in May and directed his administration that if possible, he directed to review the plan to open a re -opening for Alkatraz if possible. “
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After Trump’s announcement about the reopening of Alkatraz as a working jail on 5 May, Bandy and Bergdy Fox News correspondent David Spunt visited and visited the “The Rock” to get a briefing on the site and assess the 91 -year -old former federal prison infrastructure.
The journey, which included the walk-through of the main cell block and off-lymph regions, was normally closed to the public, a fact-khoj mission and did not have an official announcement to reopen.
Fox News correspondent David Spunt Interview Attorney General Palm Bandy and Internal Secretary Dag Bergam on Thursday. Special interview took place during his visit to Decomicand Jail. (Fox News)
Bondi and Bargam spent several hours To inspect the collapse infrastructure while discussing the ability of the island for future federal use. He visited the jail and the surrounding island, met the National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed the employees to cooperate on the initial plan for rehabilitation of the campus.
The island is managed by NP under the jurisdiction of the internal department.
If re -activated, it will be operated by the Bureau of Jails, a Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“Many people remember Al Capon, but it’s not about the past. It’s about what Alkatraz can again,” Spunt told the island. “They believe, with their boss, the President, that it can be a symbol of law and order that is looking for this administration.”
Alkatraz acted as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally working as a military jail in the 1850s. The name comes out of “Alcatress” after the 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Gulf of Spanish explorer Juan Manual D Ayala. While its derivation has inspired the debate, Bureau of jails This most means “pelican” or “strange bird.”
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The US Attorney General Palm Bandy hears a National Park Service Officer, who takes him through a banned tunnel during a private tour of Alkatraz Island on Thursday. (Fox News)
Alkatraz had a maximum capacity of 336 prisoners as a federal prison, as well as over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the operation cost of the prison was more than $ 10 per day, according to the Bureau of Pricol data, almost double the national average.
“This is a terrible feature,” Bandy said. “It needs a lot of work, but no one is known to avoid Alkatraz and survive.”
Bondi told Fox News that the jail could theoretically catch a series of criminals, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens”. He emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.
Bergam said that the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alkatraz for its original use.
“This is a federal property. Its original use was a gel. We are here to take a look to whether it can fulfill that purpose again,” he said.
The island has serious logistic challenges. Alkatraz has no direct power or water lines more than one mile away from the mainland of San Francisco, and was nervous once in more than 1 million gallons per month. Restoration will also require major upgradation to complete modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the bureau of price and federal court.
Doj sent letters to California Sheriff this week, seeking information about the unspent migrants being issued from the state jails. A administration official noted Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the ongoing Public Safety Mission of DOJ, they are not directly related to the Alkatraz review.
Alkatraz Island receives 1.5 million visitors annually as a national park. (Lee Suzuki/San Francisco through Chronicle Getty Image)
Not everyone is on the board. Former house speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco at the Congress, took a “most stupid” initiative to Trump.
The administration has not announced the timeline for the decision. Bondi and Bergam will report their conclusions to the President before taking any formal steps.
After its shutdown due to high cost and rotting infrastructure in 1963, Alkatraz re -opened to the public under the Interior Department in 1973. It is now one of the most viewed national historical sites in the country, which attracts more than 1.5 million tourists annually. This popularity can become a factor in any decision to return it to a safe improvement site.
Alkatraz has long captured American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape efforts were recorded with 36 men, but the bureau of jails say no migration ever made it for freedom.
Officials believe that frigid, high streams may have claimed the lives of those who disappear.
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“This is Alkatraz,” said Bergam. “The name still means something.”
DOJ immediately did not respond to the request for Fox News Digital’s comment.
