President Obama announced Tuesday, he plans to move many of the Guantanamo Bay prisoners to Thomson Correctional Facility. Closing Gitmo was a campaign promise he hopes to live up to bu 2010.

Some lawmakers. both local and national, say they'll be happy to see it sold to the federal government.

Democratic State Senator, Dave Koehler said, "This was something that was costing tax payers millions of dollars and was just sitting idle so let's put it to good use".

"Our state's unemployment numbers- most recent ones- were 11 percent and in some parts of the state like Northwest Illinois, even higher, people are desperate for good jobs", said Senator, Dick Durbin.

But other legislators say a lack of jobs is a poor excuse to sell.

"Clearly Illinois needs a better economic plan than housing terrorists from Guantanamo Bay", said Illinois republican representative, Mark Kirk.

State Senator Dan Rutherford says he believes housing prisoners in any US facility is opening up Pandora's Box. "When you bring war detainees on American soil, you open us up into the constitutional question of rights and the issue of Habeas Corpus", said Rutherford.

In addition, republican senator, Mitch McConnell said he believes this will prove to be a dangerous situation "for the people of Illinois, now going to be turned into a target for potential terrorist attacks- very very bad idea."

But on Tuesday night's edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Illinois Congressman Phil Hare said, most of the people in the Thomson area want the prison and others are just trying to incite fear.
"This again goes back to be afraid, be very very afraid, they're out to nail us. I don't subscribe to it", said Hare.

And the General James Jones, the National Security Advisor, promises that Thomson is "going to be a facility that will be very safe, will pose no danger to the community".

The White House has said it will hold military commission trials at the prison. It's expected that Thomson's transition to a super maximum security facility will happen over the next few months.