detention center
Americannoun
-
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.
New Jersey state authorities announced Friday they were taking charge of security outside a US immigration detention center after clashes between ICE agents and protesters angered by conditions faced by detainees inside.
From Barron's • May 29, 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
Prosecutors alleged their actions during a September protest outside the suburban Broadview detention center amounted to impeding or injuring an officer.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
According to the report, Otay Mesa is the only detention center in California with a policy requiring that detainees be strip searched after being visited by anyone other than their attorney.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
They wear light blue coveralls that the detention center has provided them.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
