President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors has been challenged in court by ten states, who claim the demand breaches federal law.

The complaint was filed in a federal district court in Missouri on Friday, with attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming joining in.

The states have sought a federal judge to overturn Biden's rule that all federal contractors' employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus, claiming that the order violates federal procurement law and is an overreach of government power.

“If the federal government attempts to unconstitutionally exert its will and force federal contractors to mandate vaccinations, the workforce and businesses could be decimated, further exacerbating the supply chain and workforce crises,” Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican, said in a statement. "The federal government should not be mandating vaccinations, and that's why we filed suit today – to halt this illegal, unconstitutional action.”

New Hampshire's Republican Attorney General John Formella said in a statement that COVID vaccines are safe, effective and encouraged but that the benefits “do not justify violating the law."