A US federal judge has ordered the government to bring back a man it deported to Equatorial Guinea without giving him a chance to raise a fear claim.

District Judge John C. Hinderaker found that immigration officials deported the man without a fear screening. Since his removal, the man has been held under armed guard, assaulted, held at gunpoint and beaten, the order said.

The judge noted he was also held incommunicado, reportedly without food or water. The government did not dispute the account, the order said.

DHS must now file status reports every three days on the man’s location and condition. The agency has 30 days to appeal the ruling.

Once returned, the man could still face removal to another third country. But the order bars deporting him again without a meaningful chance to raise a fear claim before a neutral judge.

The case is part of a wider legal fight over third-country deportations. Courts have repeatedly faulted the government for skipping fear screenings. The order adds another check on the practice.