Officials to inspect Illinois jail for Gitmo inmates
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| In this undated photo, the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson is seen. A White House official says the Obama administration is considering buying the northwestern Illinois prison to house a limited number of detainees from Guantanamo Bay, along with federal inmates. (AP photo) |
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THOMSON – Federal officials are at a prison in northwest Illinois that the government might buy to house Guantanamo Bay detainees.
An Obama administration official said the federal agencies in Carroll County to inspect the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday include the Bureau of Prisons, Homeland Security and the Departments of Defense and Justice.
The officials will get an afternoon tour of the facility and meet with local and state officials.
The federal government is considering buying the Illinois prison to turn it into a federal prison that also would hold the Guantanamo Bay detainees.
Several Illinois lawmakers say the Chicago area would become a terrorist target if Guantanamo Bay detainees are moved to Thomson.
Republican U.S. Reps. Mark Kirk, Don Manzullo, Judy Biggert and Peter Roskam held a news conference in Chicago on Monday. They said the Obama administration's proposal is too risky.
Kirk said he'll ask Congress to require that the administration assess the potential security risks to O'Hare International Airport and the Willis Tower. The lawmakers say the governor and state legislature should be required to approve such a move.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin also will hold a news conference Monday in support of the plan.
Thomson was built in 2001, but the prison has been largely vacant since then because of budget problems.
