Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison

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00:00Just off the coast of San Francisco lies a small island with a notorious history.

00:06Alcatraz, a prison fortress that once held famous criminals, including mob boss Al Capone,

00:13and saw many fantastical escape attempts.

00:16The prison's been closed for six decades, now a popular tourist attraction.

00:22But U.S. President Donald Trump wants Alcatraz reopened.

00:25On his Truth Social Network Sunday, Trump said it would be used to house America's most ruthless and violent offenders.

00:33Trump then linked the Alcatraz idea to denying the right of due process to people who entered the U.S. illegally.

00:40So many of these radicalized judges, they want to have trials for every single thing of it.

00:47Every single person that's in our country illegally, that came in illegally,

00:51that would mean millions of trials, and it's just so ridiculous what's happening.

00:56And it's long been a symbol, Alcatraz, of whatever it is.

01:02I mean, you know, it's a sad symbol, but it's a symbol of law and order.

01:07There's an American fascination with Alcatraz.

01:10It's been portrayed numerous times on film, most famously in 1996's The Rock.

01:16There's a hostage situation in Alcatraz.

01:18And in 1979's Escape from Alcatraz, based on a real-life inmate escape that occurred in 1962.

01:28No one has ever escaped from Alcatraz.

01:31I'm in.

01:32Alcatraz closed less than a year after that prison break, authorities say,

01:37because it was three times more expensive to operate than any other federal penitentiary.

01:42The island's isolation means everything from food to fuel has to be brought by boat.

01:47And the prison's crumbling infrastructure would require major renovations.

01:52It's that history and isolation that seemed to interest Trump

01:56in bringing Alcatraz back to fulfill his tough-on-crime promises.

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