Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) spoke favorably of President Donald Trump’s bid to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz Island federal prison, suggesting that the “idea” of going to this fabled prison instills panic in illegal immigrants.
Trump announced his intent to reopen the prison on Sunday, directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to work on an “enlarged” version of Alcatraz. Schmitt contended that this well-known prison “means something,” and that Trump, being a “law-and-order president,” is addressing two concerns over his plans for Alcatraz.
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“One is punishment, people ought to be punished for the crimes they committed, and also deterrence,” Schmitt explained on Fox News’s The Faulkner Focus. “It works in foreign policy, it has worked now with our border. People know if they try to come illegally, they’re not getting in; they’re going to be turned away. So if you’re the worst of the worst, if you’re a criminal coming here illegally, the idea of being on an island in Alcatraz is a deterrent, and that’s exactly what President Trump is doing.”
The Missouri senator continued, saying that it is “very smart” for Trump to make this recommendation, arguing that sending the nation’s worst criminals to a specific prison is “kind of how we’ve always done things.” However, he claimed the Left has recently decided that punishment will not be dealt to criminals, but that this is changing since Trump is back in office.
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Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) has also praised Trump’s plans for Alcatraz, suggesting it would cover the West Coast while Rikers Island would imprison the worst criminals on the East Coast. He added that he does not care if criminals are “comfortable” in their prisons, citing how he wants them to “regret” the crimes they commit.
The Alcatraz prison, located atop an island over a mile from the coast of San Francisco, had no recorded successful escapes by prisoners despite multiple attempts. The prison operated for almost 30 years before closing in 1963 and is known for housing famous criminals such as Al Capone and George “Machine-Gun” Kelly.