A federal judge in California granted a government request to force-feed and hydrate a Russian immigration detainee who has refused to eat for more than two weeks.

The Department of Homeland Security filed the request for an emergency temporary restraining order after it alleged the 41-year-old detainee has not eaten food since Aug. 4. The man has been drinking, but staff at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, which is run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said they don’t know how much water he has consumed. The detainee has also refused medical examinations, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The clinical director said in a declaration that she is concerned the man might begin to suffer serious medical issues, if he isn’t already. She also worried that a long hunger strike could even lead to the detainee’s death. The detention center has asked for a court order to physically examine the man, using restraints if necessary, and then force feed and hydrate him if needed.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw granted the request Thursday and will hear motions for a preliminary injunction Friday. It remains unclear if the man currently has legal representation.

“The Court finds that Plaintiff is likely to succeed in showing that its interests in preserving life and discharging its duties to care for those in its custody outweigh any interest Defendant might have in expressing himself through a hunger strike,” Sabraw said in the order.

Considered an “inadmissible,” the detainee presented himself at a port of entry without proper documents and has been in proceedings since November, with his next court date scheduled for September.