detention center
noun
1
: a place where people who have entered a country illegally are kept for a period of time
2
: a place where people who have committed crimes are kept as punishment
She spent several months in a detention center for women.
a juvenile detention center
Examples of detention center in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The federal government’s possible plan for an immigration detention center in Cabarrus County comes after a major immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte last fall.
—
Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2026
The national Japanese American Citizens League in August condemned the opening of an ICE detention center at Fort Bliss, which had been used as an incarceration camp for those of Japanese descent during World War II.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
In a Texas town at the edge of the Rio Grande and a tall metal border wall, rumors swirled that federal immigration officials wanted to purchase three hulking warehouses to transform into a detention center.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
After the son experienced a seizure, he was sent to the hospital while his mother was sent to a detention center in Texas, Dwivedi said.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention center
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Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2026
The national Japanese American Citizens League in August condemned the opening of an ICE detention center at Fort Bliss, which had been used as an incarceration camp for those of Japanese descent during World War II.
—Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
In a Texas town at the edge of the Rio Grande and a tall metal border wall, rumors swirled that federal immigration officials wanted to purchase three hulking warehouses to transform into a detention center.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
After the son experienced a seizure, he was sent to the hospital while his mother was sent to a detention center in Texas, Dwivedi said.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detention center
Cite this Entry
“Detention center.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detention%20center. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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