NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has temporarily halted the Biden administration's vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday granted an emergency stay of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4, or face mask requirements and weekly tests.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, said the court action halts Democratic President Joe Biden's administration from "moving forward with his unlawful overreach."

“The president will not impose medical procedures on the American people without the checks and balances afforded by the constitution,” Landry said in a statement, the Associated Press reported.

According to the news outlet, at least 27 states filed lawsuits challenging the rule in several circuits.

The president has been encouraging widespread vaccinations as the quickest way out of the pandemic.