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A federal judge in Boston granted permission on Wednesday for the Trump administration to continue with its deferred resignation initiative for government employees.

US District Judge George O’Toole stated that federal employee unions, which filed a lawsuit on behalf of their members, do not have a direct stake in the deferred resignation offer, therefore lacking legal standing to pursue this case. He had earlier imposed a temporary restraining order against the initiative.

This ruling marks a significant victory for the Trump administration, which has faced challenges in defending its policies through approximately forty lawsuits.

The deferred resignation program is a central element of the Trump administration’s strategy to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Approximately 75,000 employees accepted the resignation package, according to McLaurine Pinover, a representative from the Office of Personnel Management. The program closed at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. The number of employees opting in was first reported by Semafor.

The offer generally allows participants to resign but continue receiving paychecks until the end of September, although various unions and numerous employees have reported that the information regarding the package has been inconsistent and unclear.

The figure of 75,000 represents nearly 4% of the approximately 2 million federal employees who were offered the incentive. However, not all may be able to accept it as some positions were exempted after the offer was made, although Pinover stated this number is quite small.

The White House aims for between 5% and 10% of the workforce to participate in the resignations. On Tuesday, Trump took steps toward widespread layoffs for those who decide to remain.

Initially, eligible employees were given until the end of last Thursday night to apply, but the Trump administration pushed this deadline to just before midnight on Monday following O’Toole’s temporary hold.

In his five-page ruling, Judge O’Toole, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, nullified his earlier orders that had extended the acceptance deadline for the federal workers regarding the deferred resignation offer.

These previous orders had impeded the administration’s goal to swiftly conclude the buyout initiative.

The program faced opposition from the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions that contended it was unlawful and detrimental, as it would redirect resources to manage “the overwhelming influx of inquiries and counseling requests precipitated by the Fork Directive.”

However, O’Toole indicated that these claimed harms were “not sufficient” to grant the unions the legal standing to pursue the lawsuit.

“The unions lack the necessary direct interest in the Fork Directive and challenge a policy that impacts other parties, specifically employees of the executive branch,” the judge noted.

Attorneys representing the AFGE, the largest union for federal employees, are currently reviewing the ruling and contemplating further actions, as stated by national president Everett Kelley.

“Today’s decision represents a setback in our pursuit of dignity and fairness for public servants, but it doesn’t signify the end of that struggle,” he remarked. “Crucially, this ruling did not address the fundamental legality of the program.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lauded the ruling from the Massachusetts judge, shortly after suggesting that some judges overseeing cases against the Trump administration are “activists.”

“This Boston Buyout Ruling is just one of many legal victories for the President,” Leavitt stated in her response to CNN. “The Court lifted the injunction due to insufficient standing. This demonstrates that legal maneuvers will not triumph over the will of 77 million Americans who endorsed President Trump and his agenda.”

O’Toole’s decision that unions lack standing may influence various efforts to contest Trump administration policies, especially in cases where federal workers’ unions have raised objections in the DC federal court.

Unions are leveraging a number of emergency claims to challenge the Department of Government Efficiency in relation to privacy, employment, and other issues, which O’Toole noted have already been declared by the DC Circuit to restrict unions from going directly to federal district court for many matters under the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Jeff Zeleny and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this story.