U.S. Marines deployed to L.A. have not responded to protests, officials say – National [Video]

The U.S. Marines that deployed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump have not yet been called to respond to the city’s immigration protests and are there only to protect federal officials and property, the Marine Corps commandant said Tuesday.

The 700 Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops were sent to LA on Monday, escalating a military presence that local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom do not want and that the police chief says makes it harder to handle the protests safely.

Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith told a budget hearing on Capitol Hill that the battalion has not yet been sent to any protests. The Marines were trained for crowd control but have no arrest authority and are there to protect government property and personnel, he said.

Trump doubled the number of Guard troops being deployed soon after the first wave of 2,000 began arriving Sunday following days of protestsdriven by …