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"The prison that we proposed, a federal prison in Thomson, Illinois, would provide economic opportunity for perhaps as many as 3,000 jobs in the western part of the state...We want to use this as an opportunity for the federal authorities to see that we have a good work force in Illinois.  We have a supermax facility that will incarcerate any and all prisoners who might come to that facility." (NECN)

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn proposes the U.S. government relocates over 100 terrorist suspects from Guantanamo Bay to a high-security prison in small-town Thomson, Illinois.

Media sources are discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using this prison that has been vacant since it was built in 2001.

We're looking at multiple perspectives from CNN, WFLD, WMAQ, FOX News and DemocracyArsenal.Com.

First, a CNN reporter talks to a Thomson resident who sees the potential economic advantages, but is concerned about the the prison's location.

"I think of the positives with jobs and bringing more people into the community and using its facility to its fullest because it has been vacant and not used to its full potential. Then again, I think of the high-security people coming in and it's also scary thinking terrorists coming into our area and we have a nuclear facility not too far away from here."

The FOX affiliate in Chicago talks to a political analyst. He says the surprise of the Fort Hood shootings has brought Americans on edge from terrorist threat and bringing terrorist suspects to the Midwest will only worsen the situation.

"Coming through the O'Hare Airport, the busiest airport of visitors, every detainee would get at least 10 to 11 visitors, provision on a list.  They'd be coming through O'Hare probably to visit them, more than 200, according to the federal government, would be there.  To put them all in one facility, even though they're separated, you can have them in solitary confinement, I wouldn't feel good about it.  But this is the same argument some New Yorkers are making about having the trial in New York, that they would be a target there."

But, the NBC affiliate in Chicago talks to one Thomson businessman who says it's about time the government invest time and money in the vacant prison.

"'I just don't know what we're going to do.' That day couldn't come soon enough for lifelong resident Lawrence Bruckner and other business owners in Thomson. Bruckner built this motel and restaurant for visitors and venders he wagered would flock to Thomson because of its new prison. 'So to have the sewer and waterlines through here, and there was no motel in Thomson, we thought it was a goldmine to build, and I built it as a speculation, intending it to sell.'"

On FOX News, Republican Illinois Representative Mark Kirk says there is a huge security risk that shouldn't be overlooked: the terrorists' followers.

"The problem is that this is an unnecessary risk for the people of illinois. Under federal law, these terrorists will have a right to visitors, under federal policy, up to 10 visitors per prisoner. That means that we could have up to 2,000 followers and family members of Al Qaeda coming to visit Illinois, and they will be connecting through our busiest airport, O'Hare...These terrorists are not people who used to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, like ones already incarcerated.  This is the Al Qaeda core with intense connections to Pakistan and Afghanistan and something that will recieve alot of attention in the Jihadi world."

Finally, a blogger on DemocracyArsenal.com, a blog about U.S. foreign policy, says hosting Gitmo prisoners on U.S. soil shouldn't even be an issue. He says Americans should trust the prison system.

"Since the prison is empty, and presumably the Gitmo detainees will not have contact with other prisoners, this should not be an issue, and the American prison system has demostrated for decades that it can handle housing terrorists successfully."

So what do you think? Will hosting over 100 terror suspects in the Midwest provide ample jobs to the area, or will this federal decision threaten national security?

Writer: Jess Blumensheid

Producer: Nathan Giannini