detention camp

American  

noun

1. a compound where prisoners are detained temporarily, as pending determination of their legal status under immigration laws.

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Etymology

Origin of detention camp

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Escape attempts from the largest detention camp in northeast Syria, Al Hol, have increased this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

These long-standing facilities were joined this month by a slapdash detention camp in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2025

The Taliban are also seeking the release of an Afghan who is one of the few remaining prisoners at the US's Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2025

They raided landmarks such as the Biltmore and Beverly Hills hotels, and a detention camp was set up in Los Angeles’ Elysian Park to temporarily house the people picked up.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2024

As for Nijinsky, he, with his wife, had been a prisoner in an Austrian detention camp since the beginning of the war.

From Interpreters by Van Vechten, Carl