Lawmakers are crying foul over the federal government's purchase of an Illinois state prison.

The Department of Justice filed for a transfer of sale of the Thomson Correctional Center in western Illinois, despite bipartisan objection.

Supporters believe the purchase will create more than a thousand jobs and ease prison overcrowding. But opponents say the sale amounts to a $165 million earmark.

Critics also worry that the Obama administration may use the facility to house terror suspects on U.S. soil.

"This is the prison that they wanted to move the people from Guantanamo Bay to," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., said.

"They may very well take the people from supermax out in Colorado and move them to this prison and take Guantanamo Bay people and move them out of Guantanamo Bay to the United States," he said.

The administration denies that will happen. Federal law bars the transfer of any detainees from Guantanamo to thomson prison.