detention center

American  

[dih-ten-shuhn sen-ter] / dɪˈtɛn ʃən ˌsɛn tər /

noun

1. a facility maintained by the civil authorities for persons charged with a crime, immigrants awaiting deportation rulings, or sometimes witnesses before a trial.

2. juvenile detention center.

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Etymology

Origin of detention center

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Police took Langston into custody on an outstanding Los Angeles County warrant and booked him at the Lewis & Clark County Detention Center, and he was en route to Los Angeles by Friday afternoon, Shanks said.

From Los Angeles Times

Elora Mukherjee, a Columbia University immigration-law professor, said she has represented dozens of children between the ages of 2 and 16 at the detention center where Liam and his father are being held.

From The Wall Street Journal

But by the time that petition was formally filed in federal court, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had already transferred Khalil to a detention center in northern New Jersey.

From Slate

The MJC said investigators will pursue accountability for the injuries and trauma Rahman experienced at the Whipple Detention Center and during her emergency medical treatment, emphasizing that legal action is forthcoming after what she called an unjustified use of force by unidentified federal officers.

From Salon

Those raids were followed by months of protests in the city and clashes with federal immigration agents at the detention center where detainees were being held until release or transfer.

From Los Angeles Times