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WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Barack Obama has ordered the federal government to acquire an underused state prison in rural Illinois to be the new home for a limited number of terror suspects now held at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Just a few minutes ago, U.S. Senator John McCain issued a statement on the President's decision:

"I have supported the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay for many years, but I have always stated that we need a comprehensive plan to close Guantanamo safely and legally. The Administration still has not crafted such a plan, and I do not think we should transfer any detainees into the United States until such a plan is presented to the American people and approved by the Congress."

The federal government will acquire Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Ill., transforming the prison in a sleepy town near the Mississippi River into a prison that exceeds "supermax standards," according to a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair.

Those departments "will work closely with state and local law enforcement authorities to identify and mitigate any risks" at the prison, the letter said. The decision is an important step toward closing Guantanamo Bay. Thomson, about 150 miles from Chicago, is expected to house both
federal inmates and no more than 100 detainees from Guantanamo Bay.