detention center
Americannoun
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detention centers
plural
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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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Garces Perez says doctors couldn’t remove the bullet because it had lodged near his spine and ICE wanted to move him to a detention center, where he remains in custody.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
She called the detention center and was told Vela Gonzalez was taken to the hospital.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Over the weekend, a Salvadoran immigrant being held at the notorious Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey died after experiencing a medical emergency, the second death the facility has seen since December.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement over conditions at the Mojave Desert detention center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026
Most of the Central Americans go to reunite with a parent, say counselors at a detention center in Texas where the INS houses the largest number of the unaccompanied children it catches.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
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