detention camp

American  

noun

1. a compound where prisoners are detained temporarily, as pending determination of their legal status under immigration laws.

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Etymology

Origin of detention camp

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

In 2022, another group of Australians, consisting of four women and 13 children, were released from the Roj detention camp and brought back to Sydney, prompting a backlash from some in Australia.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Escape attempts from the largest detention camp in northeast Syria, Al Hol, have increased this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

After about a month, she and Nijaz were finally released from the detention camp in December 1992.

From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025

They raided landmarks such as the Biltmore and Beverly Hills hotels, and a detention camp was set up in Los Angeles’ Elysian Park to temporarily house the people picked up.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2024

Some of us feared that eighteen months in a detention camp would have stamped their mark on the dancer.

From Interpreters by Van Vechten, Carl