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A federal judge is set to evaluate President Donald Trump’s unprecedented federal workforce reduction plan, which includes a buyout proposal affecting two million government employees.

The hearing, scheduled for Monday in Boston, will be presided over by U.S. District Judge George O’Toole. Federal workers’ unions have filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the administration’s “deferred resignation” initiative, arguing that congressional approval for funding was never secured.

The workforce reduction effort is being spearheaded by Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, through the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Despite not being an official government department, DOGE’s activities have created widespread concern in Washington, sparking public demonstrations and prompting citizens to flood congressional offices with calls about Musk’s team accessing sensitive government data.

Musk’s associates have assumed key positions within government agencies while simultaneously pushing to eliminate others, including USAID and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, which was established following the 2008 financial crisis.

Democratic lawmakers and union representatives have criticized Trump’s decision to grant such extensive authority to the South African-born billionaire, who appears to answer only to the President. Trump maintains that Musk operates solely with his approval.

The scope of Musk’s team’s activities has expanded far beyond their initial mandate, which was outlined in a January 20 executive order directing DOGE to suggest improvements to federal government technology.

Judge O’Toole recently suspended the Thursday deadline for workers to accept Trump’s resignation package, which promises continued pay through September for immediate resignation. While union leadership has cautioned against accepting the offer, citing concerns about the administration’s trustworthiness, approximately 65,000 employees have reportedly taken the deal as of Friday, though this figure cannot be independently confirmed.

The judge’s upcoming decision could result in another temporary suspension, a complete ban, or approval of the program’s continuation.

A CFPB staff member expressed pessimism on Sunday, suggesting that even if the buyout program is blocked, employees anticipate eventual job losses. The agency’s new acting director, Russell Vought, instructed employees via email on Saturday to halt nearly all operations, followed by a Sunday announcement of a week-long agency closure.

“CFPB RIP,” Musk posted on X after his team reportedly entered the agency.

Trump indicated on Sunday that he expects Musk to identify billions in wasteful military spending when directed to examine Pentagon operations.

The aggressive actions by Trump and Musk continue to generate new legal challenges. A judge has partially halted the dismantling of USAID, while another case has temporarily stopped Trump’s attempt to freeze federal financial assistance programs. Additionally, a Saturday ruling temporarily prevented DOGE from accessing Treasury Department payment systems.