Troop deployment creates tense atmosphere on US border

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — As the first active-duty troops sent to the U.S. border with Mexico install coils of razor wire, a sense of unease is spreading across Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.

President Donald Trump’s portrayal of a border under siege by drug smugglers and other criminals is at odds with what many residents see, with U.S. border towns consistently ranking among the safest in the country.

Some Valley residents question the need for a large military presence and fear it will tarnish the area’s image. Some fear violence if and when the caravan of Central American migrants reaches the U.S. border.