Since Friday, 550 Northwest Detention Center detainees in Washington state have refused to eat as part of a hunger strike.

Latino Advocacy Founder Maru Mora Villalpando told Al Jazeera America that the demonstration is in response to the lack of immigration reform in the U.S. Their demands include a executive order from President Barrack Obama to end deportations, better food and safer working conditions.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency confirmed the 550 demonstrators but Villalpando told Al Jazeera there were about 1,200 hunger strikers and they will continue their demonstration until Tuesday.

The correctional services company GEO Group runs the detention center, which currently houses 1,300 people who face possible deportation pending on investigation.

Villalpando also told the publication that the demonstrators began their protest on Friday because that's the day guards separate the detainees being deported Monday from the others.

The Latino Advocacy organized protests outside of the same facility last month. Villalpando said the hunger strikers decided to demonstrate because they were inspired by the group's previous protest where they blocked the facility's gate, keeping deportation vans from exiting.

Villalpando said Latino Advocacy members are also going to join the demonstration by protesting on the other side of the gate in tandem with the hunger strikers inside.

"People will be coming every day from noon to 4 p.m. until Tuesday to show their support with the 1,200 immigrants."

According to Al Jazeera, the detention center staff and medical personnel have continually monitored the demonstrators.

"ICE fully respects the rights of all people to express their opinion without interference," the agency said.

Villalpando said GEO Group has been exploiting the detainees by giving them $1 a day for working in the kitchen and performing janitorial duties.

"It's just ironic that the government is detaining people for working without a social security number," Villalpando said, adding, "Meanwhile they allow this company to exploit their labor."

The bipartisan immigration reform bill that was stalled in the House last July has resulted in numerous action groups continuing a nationwide campaign to coordinate protests with detainees locked up inside facilities.

Detainees in other states such as Arizona, California, Illinois and Virginia have also held similar protests and demonstrations.