Tense atmosphere at the border as active-duty troops install coils of razor wire

[TomSea]

CBS/AP

Tense atmosphere at the border as active-duty troops install coils of razor wire

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- As the first active-duty military troops sent to the U.S. border with Mexico installed coils of razor wire on a bridge and a riverbank Friday, a sense of unease spread across Texas' Rio Grande Valley. President Trump's portrayal of a border under siege by drug smugglers and other criminals is at odds with what residents in towns along the 1,954-mile divide with Mexico see in their daily routines, with U.S. border towns consistently ranking among the safest in the country.

U.S. military units in San Antonio and other locations in Texas, California, and Arizona are going through specific training and rules along the border, CBS San Antonio affiliate KENS reports. Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland Air Force Base is one of the primary locations where training is underway.   

Some Valley residents question the need for a large military presence and fear it will tarnish the area's image. And some are afraid of violence if and when the caravan of Central American migrants that the troops have been sent to confront reaches the U.S. border.

Read more at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-mexico-border-brownsville-texas-tense-atmosphere-troops-install-coils-of-razor-wire/