detention center
Americannoun
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a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.
Etymology
Origin of detention center
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport is suing the GEO Group, the private firm running the ICE detention center, demanding access.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
The US state of New Jersey on Tuesday sued the private prison company that runs a migrant detention center where protesters have rallied for several days over allegedly poor conditions at the jail.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
“It’s the only detention center in the country that doesn’t have an indoor waiting area,” she said.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
The Broadview immigration facility, a temporary detention center, became a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s effort to increase enforcement in the Chicago area during what it called “Operation Midway Blitz” last fall.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
He also knew that the longer Boobie stayed in a foster home, the greater the odds were of his ultimately landing in a juvenile detention center, or on the streets, or in prison.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
