Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Administration’s Deadline for Federal Worker ‘Buyout’

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a key deadline set by the Trump administration, which required more than 2 million federal employees to decide by the end of Thursday whether to resign or remain in their jobs. The pause allows time for labor unions to challenge the legality of the administration’s workforce restructuring plan.

U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Boston issued a temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing for Monday, giving federal workers more time before making a potentially career-altering decision.

The Trump administration’s legal team opposed the extension, arguing that it would create uncertainty for federal employees who had already complied with the deadline and disrupt the administration’s broader efforts to reform the federal workforce.“

Extending the deadline at the last minute will markedly disrupt the expectations of the federal workforce, inject tremendous uncertainty into a program that scores of federal employees have already availed themselves of, and hinder the administration’s efforts to reform the federal workforce,” the administration’s lawyers stated in court filings.

Despite the ruling, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt welcomed the extension, saying it would allow more federal workers to consider their options. “We are grateful for this extension so more federal workers who refuse to show up to the office can take the administration up on this very generous, once-in-a-lifetime offer,” Leavitt said.