detainer
noun
de·tain·er
di-ˈtā-nər 
1
: the act of keeping something in one's possession
specifically
: the withholding from the rightful owner of something that has lawfully come into the possession of the holder
2
: detention in custody
3
: a writ authorizing the keeper of a prison to continue to hold a person in custody
Examples of detainer in a Sentence
keep him in detainer for at least 72 hours
she filed an action for unlawful detainer of land after nonpayment of rent
Recent Examples on the Web
Cunningham, one of a few swing votes in the House, previously voted for the GOP legislation last year that required sheriffs to comply with ICE detainers.
—
Avi Bajpai, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025
Under the bill, state prisons and county jails would be required to enter agreements with Washington to temporarily house people with detainers.
—Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Republican representatives, however, say the cities must do more, including honoring ICE detainers, which would require holding arrestees longer than legally allowed.
—Monica Eng, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025
Attorney General Brenna Bird said that Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx had violated state law by posting on Facebook that his office would refuse to comply with some Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainer
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Avi Bajpai, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2025
Under the bill, state prisons and county jails would be required to enter agreements with Washington to temporarily house people with detainers.
—Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Republican representatives, however, say the cities must do more, including honoring ICE detainers, which would require holding arrestees longer than legally allowed.
—Monica Eng, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025
Attorney General Brenna Bird said that Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx had violated state law by posting on Facebook that his office would refuse to comply with some Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detainer
Cite this Entry
“Detainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detainer. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
detainer
noun
de·tain·er
di-ˈtā-nər
1
: the act of keeping something in one's possession
specifically
: unlawful detainer
2
: detention in custody
3
: a notification sent by a prosecutor, judge, or other official advising a prison official that a prisoner is wanted to answer criminal charges and requesting continued detention of the prisoner or notification of the prisoner's impending release compare extradition
Etymology
Anglo-French detenoure, from detenir to restrain, detain, from Old French, from Latin detinere
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