Gitmo detainees could come to Illinois

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Guantanamo Bay detainees will likely head to Illinois.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said a deal to sell a prison in Illinois to the federal government to house the detainees will probably happen.

It looks like the federal government may go forward with the plan to buy the Thomson Correctional Center in Northwest Illinois to house the detainees.  The maximum security prison was built eight years ago and it's currently unoccupied.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said 2,000 to 3,000 new jobs could be created by opening the facility to house detainees.

"For our state, it's an answer to a prayer and for our nation it says the people of Illinois will step up, open this facility safely and securely hold these prisoners," Durbin said.

Earlier in the year there were talks about whether Guantanamo detainees would come to Terre Haute to the federal prison.

Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said he thinks the detainees should be held in a military prison since they're prisoners of war. However, he said if the government decided to send them to Terre Haute, the prison is safe and secure.

But if the government buys the Illinois facility will Terre Haute no longer be considered?

"Until a final decision's made if that's where they're going to put all 200 plus prisoners that would answer that question," Bennett said. "It's possible they could scatter them around too. I don't think anyone really knows the answer to it."

Federal officials visited the Illinois facility Monday, no word on when a decision will be made.