Immigrants detained by ICE in the Orange County Correctional Facility have begun a hunger strike in protest of the dangerous conditions under which they are being held, as reported by the New York Daily News.

“This is something that’s been bubbling up for a long time over a whole host of issues,” said Perry McAninch, a lawyer with The Legal Aid Society. “The most immediate issue is treatment by the guards, who are saying racist things and have been abusive and aggressive. It’s also hard for people there to access a doctor.”

New York City’s defender organizations providing free legal representation to detained immigrants through the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP) issued a statement of solidarity and called for the release of those individuals detained in Orange County.

“Jail officials and ICE have time and time again shown a disregard for the health and safety of people in their custody, putting their lives at risk simply because of where they were born,” they write. “We call for ICE to yield to the strikers’ demands and release all those in their custody immediately.”