detainer

American  

[dih-tey-ner] / dɪˈteɪ nər /

noun

Law.

1. a writ for the further detention of a person already in custody.

2. the wrongful detaining or withholding of what belongs to another.

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detainer British  

/ dɪˈteɪnə /

noun

1. the wrongful withholding of the property of another person

2. 1. the detention of a person in custody

   2. a writ authorizing the further detention of a person already in custody

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Other Word Forms

• predetainer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of detainer

1610–20; < Anglo-French detener (noun use of infinitive), variant of Old French detenir; see detain

Example Sentences

After taking him to jail, police placed an ICE detainer on him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

US immigration authorities had placed a detainer on him as part of that case, which is a request for someone who is a non-US citizen to be taken into their custody should they be released.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

On the day he was to be released, records show, Hernández had an immigration detainer — a request for law enforcement agencies to hold noncitizens for pickup by Immigration and Customs Enforcement — in place.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

But thanks to a newly unveiled criminal indictment and a pending immigration detainer, it’s highly unlikely that he will be returning home to his wife and children anytime soon.

From Slate • Jun. 26, 2025

"Any warrant or writing for such commitment, detainer, imprisonment, or transportation," &c.

From Some Historical Account of Guinea, Its Situation, Produce, and the General Disposition of Its Inhabitants An Inquiry into the Rise and Progress of the Slave Trade, Its Nature and Lamentable Effects by Benezet, Anthony