More than 150 detained immigrants in a Pennsylvania detention center have started a hunger strike to demand their release amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Movement of Immigration Leaders in Pennsylvania.

The York County Detention Center holds immigration detainees who are seeking asylum or had legal status in the U.S. before facing criminal charges. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and York County did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. 

Since the start of the pandemic, advocacy groups and public health officials have called for the release of immigration detainees and other prisoners to avoid the spread of the disease. 

Last year, a mumps outbreak that started at a Texas immigration detention center quickly surged through the system, sickening nearly 1,000 migrants in 57 facilities across the country. Then, an entire wing at York had to be quarantined for two months.

This story is developing.