A federal judge on Tuesday afternoon temporarily reinstated a Democratic member of the Merit Systems Protection Board who President Donald Trump removed, which could have implications for recently fired federal employees who decide to challenge their terminations.

"While administrative stays are more common in appellate courts, district courts have recognized their applicability in cases seeking emergency relief—including in this District," U.S. District Senior Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote in a minute order temporarily reinstating Hampton Dellinger as special counsel of the Office of Special Counsel.

Hampton Dellinger's termination at the Office of Special Counsel comes as Trump's Republican administration is engaged in an overhaul of the federal government, testing the limits of well-established civil service protections.