A U.S. federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered that the Donald Trump administration should temporarily put a hold on their offer to more than two million federal employees, asking them to voluntarily resign in exchange for paid leave through September amid the Thursday night deadline.

As part of his efforts to reduce the size of federal employees, the Trump administration had last month sent emails to millions of workers asking them to tender their resignation in exchange for monthly payments through September and informed them the offer would expire at 11.59 p.m. on Thursday, according to the New York Times.

However, Judge George O’Toole Jr has issued a temporary restraining order barring the Office of Personnel Management from proceeding with the reduction plan until a hearing on Monday afternoon.

Mr O’Toole also ordered lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defence to prepare for oral arguments.

“I enjoin the defendants from taking action to implement the so-called Fork directive, pending the completion of briefing and oral argument on the issues,” the judge said.

Mr O’Toole is acting on the lawsuit filed against Mr Trump’s administration by government unions — the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the National Association of Government Employees over the initiative they called ‘unlawful’.

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday, more than 40,000 workers have already accepted the offer, and it is unclear how the judge’s latest ruling on the initiative will affect them.