The White House News

William McGinley is returning to the Trump White House to serve as his White House Counsel, President-elect Trump announced.

“I am pleased to announce that William Joseph McGinley will serve as my White House Counsel,” the appointment announcement noted. “Bill is a smart and tenacious lawyer who will help me advance our America First agenda while fighting or election integrity and against the weaponization of law enforcement.”

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The White House Counsel typically plays a key behind-the-scenes role in vetting Supreme Court candidates and nominees.

Having already picked three Supreme Court justices in his first term, Trump will have appointed a majority of the court if he lands two more in his second term.

McGinley served in the first administration for Trump as the White House Cabinet secretary as well as serving as General Counsel at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. 

Prior to his political appointments, he was a partner at two international law firms.

Fox News’ William Mears Jr. contributed to this report.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested another illegal immigrant charged with child sex offenses in Boston, just as the Massachusetts governor has said she won’t assist in a mass deportation operation by the incoming Trump administration.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston announced this month that they had apprehended a Colombian illegal immigrant on Oct. 29. He had been arrested by the Boston Police Department on charges of enticing a child under 16, distribution of obscene matter, and lascivious posing and exhibiting a child in the nude.

ICE had lodged a detainer — a request that an illegal immigrant be detained until ICE can take them into custody — but the detainer was not honored by local authorities and he was released from custody. The man, Mateo Hincapie Cardona, had been encountered in April by Border Patrol in Arizona and released on his own recognizance.

DEM GOVERNOR THREATENS TO USE ‘EVERY TOOL’ TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP-ERA DEPORTATIONS

“This individual is charged with committing heinous crimes against a child, which show him to be a distinct threat to our Massachusetts community,” said ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde. 

It’s one of a number of incidents whereby ICE’s Boston unit have had to go after illegal immigrants released from local custody in the city and surrounding areas. “Sanctuary” jurisdictions typically do not honor ICE detainers, arguing that doing so encourages illegal immigrants to come forward and work with police if they are victims or witnesses to crimes. Massachusets is not a sanctuary state as it does not have a sanctuary law on the books, but a number of its cities — including Boston — are sanctuary cities.

In September, ICE announced it had arrested an illegal Salvadoran immigrant who was charged with several sex crimes against a child. He was one of a number of “egregious” illegal immigrant sex offenders caught in an operation in Nantucket.

The same month, ICE announced the arrest of a “gotaway” migrant in Lynn, Massachusetts. He had been charged with rape, indecent assault and battery of a person over 18, but had been released on bail without notifying immigration officials.

WEALTHY, LIBERAL NANTUCKET, MARTHA’S VINEYARD SEES 6 ICE ARRESTS IN ONE MONTH

In August, ICE arrested a Brazilian illegal immigrant in Wakefield, Massachusetts, who was charged with assault to rape, indecent assault and battery, and domestic assault and battery in Massachusetts.

A law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News that despite having an active arrest warrant for domestic violence, the local bail commissioner allowed him to be released back on bond.

In March, Fox News embedded with ICE officers in Boston and saw them make five arrests, including four alleged child rapists and a member of MS-13, a group of potential dangerous criminals the officers say were allowed on the streets because of local sanctuary policies that denied the agency’s detainer requests.

While ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons praised the work of local officers to remove the potential threats to the community from the streets, he admitted the sanctuary policies in Boston are “frustrating” and make it more difficult for the agency to do its job.

But those sanctuary policies are likely to come more into focus with the looming Trump administration.

‘LIBERATION DAY’: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ON BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION

President-elect Trump has promised to carry out a mass deportation operation, and this week tapped former acting ICE Director Tom Homan as the “border czar.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has said state police would “absolutely not” assist agents in their deportation operations, and hinted at potential action to push back against the administration.

“Some realities need to be noted, and that is in 2016, we had a different situation in the courts, and I am sure there may be litigation ahead. There is a lot of other ways people are going to act and need to act for the sake of their states and residents,” Healey said. “There’s regulatory authority and executive powers and the like. There’s legislation also within our state.

“So I think the key here is that, you know, every tool in the tool box has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states and to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle.”

A source at ICE Boston was unimpressed by Healey’s comments.

“Governor Healey’s sanctuary policies protect the criminals and endanger law enforcement officers everyday,” they said. “Her policies do not protect the citizens of the communities to which she took an oath.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supervisor who was fired for instructing subordinates to skip over houses with Trump signs and banners now says that her actions were in accord with agency guidance and were not isolated to her team alone.

The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, was fired by FEMA after outrage erupted that she had instructed disaster relief workers canvassing in Lake Placid, Florida, after Hurricane Milton to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”

The Daily Wire first reported that government employees told the outlet that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were bypassed from the end of October and into November due to the “best practices” guidance from Washington. The houses were skipped over by the workers, who wrote messages such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership,” in a government system, per the outlet. 

On Saturday, FEMA’s administrator on employee misconduct, Deanne Criswell, confirmed to Fox News Digital that Washington had been fired and called her actions “reprehensible” and a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.

A FEMA spokesperson told Fox News on Friday that the agency was “deeply disturbed” by Washington’s actions but insisted it was an “isolated incident.”

FEMA OFFICIAL SAID TO AVOID HOMES WITH TRUMP SIGNS: ‘TO SAY I WAS SURPRISED WOULD BE A LIE’ 

The spokesperson said that “the employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”

Speaking on a Monday episode of the “Roland Martin Unfiltered” podcast, Washington said that her instructions complied with FEMA protocol to avoid homes determined to be hostile or dangerous to workers.

“They all allege that these actions were made in my own recognizance and that it was for my own political advances. However, if you look at the record there is what we call a ‘community trend’ and unfortunately it just so happened that the political hostility that was encountered by my team … they just so happened to have the Trump campaign signage,” said Washington.

Washington claimed that her instructions were given after team members had been verbally and physically threatened by hurricane victims with signs in support of the former president. She said that her instructions followed FEMA’s “avoidance” and de-escalation policy.

‘INSANE’: ‘FOX & FRIENDS WEEKEND’ CO-HOSTS REACT TO REPORT OF FEMA OFFICIAL’S POLITICAL BIAS

Also in contrast to FEMA’s assertion that the incident was isolated, Washington said that there were similar “avoidance” protocols in place not only in Florida but also in North Carolina.

“Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know but if you ask the DSA [disaster survivor assistance] crew leads and specialists what they are experiencing in the field they will tell you,” she said. “FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de-escalation so this is not isolated, this is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas.”

Last week, Republican Rep. James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, called for a hearing on the incident to be held on Nov. 19. Washington said she would welcome an investigation by Republicans in Congress.

“Please do [investigate], they will find this is not isolated. I state this over and over again, this is colossal,” she said. “Demand for FEMA to give you those incident reports. They will substantiate what we are experiencing in the field.”

FEMA responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by simply forwarding a Nov. 9 statement by Criswell condemning Washington’s actions. 

“One FEMA employee departed from these values to advise her survivor assistance team to not go to homes with yard signs supporting President-elect Trump,” Criswell said in the statement. “I want to be clear to all of my employees and the American people, this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA, and we will hold people accountable if they violate these standards of conduct.” 

President-elect Trump has appointed a longtime ally, New York businessman Steven Witkoff, as his Special Envoy to the Middle East.

Witkoff is a real estate investor, landlord, and the founder of the Witkoff Group, which he started in 1977.

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In his announcement, Trump said that Witkoff would be an “unrelenting Voice for PEACE” in the highly-contentious region.

“Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous,” the announcement on Tuesday evening said. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.”

It’s been a ruff day for Senator-elect Jim Justice of West Virginia and his famous pooch, Babydog.

Babydog Justice, the unofficial mascot of Justice’s campaign for Senate, has reportedly been banned from the voting floor, according to reporting from Axios.

Axios reports that dogs are not allowed on the Senate floor unless they are verifiable service animals, and even then require additional screening for potential allergies.

Justice was reportedly informed of the decision during Tuesday’s orientation for Senators-elect at the Capitol Rotunda. Dogs are regularly allowed on Capitol premises, including elected officials’ offices. This ban appears to only apply to the Senate floor, where the legislative body votes.

BABYDOG GOES TO WASHINGTON: WEST VIRGINIA’S JUSTICE FLIPS SENATE SEAT RED

The celebrity hound first made waves on a national scale over the summer at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where she joined her dad, then-Governor Jim Justice, in a dog-sized chair on stage.

ALL ABOUT BABYDOG: THE GOVERNOR’S PET THAT STOLE THE SHOW AT THE RNC

“I know that a lot of you want to meet my little buddy,” said Justice. “So if Babydog could come on out here.”

She has been a fixture in West Virginia politics since she was given to Justice by his children for Christmas in 2019.

“Since then, she has become a favorite among West Virginians across the state. Babydog travels with the Governor to nearly every stop and is the only one who rivals his popularity. She has truly become a mainstay in West Virginia politics,” a spokesperson for Justice said to Fox News Digital.
 
It is unclear if any resolutions may pass to make an exception for Babydog Justice or other Senate pooches to make appearances on the floor.

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Representatives for Senator-elect Jim Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.