Judge clears way for Trump’s plan to downsize federal workforce with deferred resignation programme

Federal judge removes legal hurdle for Trump's federal workforce downsizing plan, unions challenge legality.

A federal judge on Wednesday (February 13, 2025) removed a key legal hurdle stalling President Donald Trump’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program.

The Boston-based judge's order in the challenge filed by a group of labor unions was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after a string of courtroom setbacks.

“This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Another group of unions filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. late Wednesday, though its potential impacts were not immediately clear.

It's unclear how many federal workers accepted the offer to quit in return for being paid until Sept. 30, but the White House said there were 65,000 as of Friday.

McLaurine Pinover, a spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management, said the deferred resignation program was now closed to additional workers. She said it "provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.”

American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement that the union's lawyers are assessing the next steps.