(AURN News) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's buyout program for federal workers who decline to return to office work, just as officials report tens of thousands have already accepted the deal.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday morning that more than 40,000 federal employees had accepted buyout offers before the program was paused.

"We expect that number to increase, and that alone, just the 40,000 again, we expect it to increase. It's going to save the American people tens of millions of dollars," Leavitt told reporters outside the White House.

The administration's severance package offers eight months of pay and benefits to federal workers, aiming to reduce the federal workforce by 5-10% as part of what officials describe as cost-saving measures.

U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole Jr. in Massachusetts issued the temporary block, with a hearing scheduled for Monday to further address the matter. The original deadline for workers to accept buyouts had been set for Thursday night.

The program emerged after the administration ended remote work options for federal employees in an effort to cut the cost and size of the government.

"We encourage federal workers in this city to accept the very generous offer. If they don't want to show up to the office, if they want to rip the American people off, then they're welcome to take this buyout, and we'll find highly competent individuals who want to fill these roles," Leavitt said.

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