(legal) The right to keep a person, or a person's goods or property, against his will. A type of custody.
2007, August 21, Kareem Fahim, Presidential Candidate Blames Killings on Newark Sanctuary Policy, On Monday, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency placed a similar detainer on Melvin Jovel, 18, who on Sunday was the sixth person to be arrested in the case.
2008, March 23, Kareem Fahim, Immigration Referrals by Police Draw Scrutiny, Scott Weber, the field office director for the enforcement office in Newark, said that in roughly a third of the cases, his agency would file a detainer or immigration charges; another third involved individuals who could be deported after their court cases; and the rest might be United States citizens or legal residents.
2008, April 13, Christine Hauser, U.S. Officials Are Expected to Charge Police Officer, Officer Torres’s lawyer, Paul S. Missan, said on Saturday that he had been told by a prison official in Pennsylvania that a detainer was lodged against his client, meaning he was likely to face federal charges.
1840, Ellen Pickering, Who shall be heir? (volume 1, page 146)... he chatted gaily with his fair detainer, showing no inclination to escape from the bondage in which she sought to retain him.
