Biden orders ‘pause’ on border wall construction, bringing crews to a halt Updated: January 21 Published January 21 Newly erected border wall separating Mexico, left, and the United States, cuts through through the Sonoran Desert just west of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, in Douglas, Ariz. Construction of the border wall, mostly in government owned wildlife refuges and Indigenous territory, has led to environmental damage and the scarring of unique desert and mountain landscapes that conservationists fear could be irreversible. (AP Photo/Matt York) Share on Facebook Print article WASHINGTON - Construction crews building the steel wall along the U.S.-Mexico border were ordered to a halt Wednesday after President Joe Biden delivered on a campaign promise and hit “pause” on the Trump administration’s signature infrastructure project.