Women have consistently constituted a minority in Spain’s immigration detention centers. Reports and academic literature have documented widespread gender inequality and discrimination within these facilities. Legislation provides minimal attention to gender, merely including women under the broad category of “vulnerable groups,” without offering specific protections. However, the recent rise in arrivals to the Canary Islands—including women and women with children—has altered local detention practices. Rather than being detained or deported, many are redirected to more humanitarian reception facilities, justified by their classification as “vulnerable.” This paper analyzes the gender implications of immigration detention policies and practices in Spain. We argue that increased attention to gender inequalities in migration control has contributed to the decline in women’s detention. However, this shift relies heavily on traditional gender roles (e.g., motherhood, victimhood) and stereotypes (e.g., trafficked, misled), which are mobilized by both authorities and NGOs. While such roles can act as protective factors, they simultaneously reinforce essentialist and patriarchal constructions of migrant women. As a result, what appears to be an improvement of women’s rights often ends up reproducing rather than challenging these stereotypes, ultimately failing to adopt gender-transformative goals.