The Supreme Court should reject an emergency appeal from the Trump administration asking for quick action to allow the firing of the head of the federal agency that protects whistleblowers, lawyers for the embattled official told the justices on Tuesday.

A lower court temporarily reinstated Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, after he sued the administration this month for firing him.

The head of a US whistleblower-protection agency urged the US Supreme Court to let him stay in his job for the time being, saying his firing by President Donald Trump would weaken the office at an “especially unfortunate moment.