DALLAS, Texas — A Fort Worth bus company is blowing the whistle on two federal contractors managing the transportation of migrant children nationwide, claiming its drivers were coerced to drive longer on the road than what is allowed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In early May, receipts show that Cowtown Charters was paid to make two trips to Knoxville, Tenn., carrying migrant children from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to a dropoff point in the Volunteer State.
Before those trips, four drivers with the company tell WFAA they were asked to drive to New York, a near 24-hour ride when federal regulations say passenger-carrying drivers can't be behind the wheel for more than 10 hours after eight consecutive hours off duty.
"This was abnormal," owner Bill Pippin said. "And I don't think these people really know what they're doing or have any experience."
From March until May, the convention center served as a stepping stone and shelter for migrant children as they waited to be reunited with family or a sponsor, but the federal government did not renew its lease following its expiration on June 1.
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Volunteers and religious groups aiding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services tell WFAA that operations ceased there on May 26.
The first trip Cowtown Charters made was on May 7.
The company was paid by MVM, Inc. and ICS Charters--MVM is a private security and intelligence firm that has transported migrant families and unaccompanied minors in government custody for the past six years.
Drivers Rick Burris and Mary Stepp were assigned to the first trip and tell WFAA there was a lot of chaos at the convention center when they arrived.
"Trying to find someone to get information out of was almost impossible," Burris said. "It was very unorganized."
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The pair said they got directions from an MVM employee, telling them they were taking a load of 50-plus people to New York.
Burris said he immediately raised concern.
"They told me we were going to New York, and I said we couldn't do that; it's just not legally possible," Burris said.
Per the FMCSA, a driver can go 10 hours behind the wheel and then trade-off with another driver in the bus to continue the drive.
However, an additional driver can only go five more hours since they're technically on duty as the first driver hits the road.
The FMCSA says drivers cannot drive for any period after having been on duty 15 hours following eight consecutive hours off-duty.
Stepp told WFAA those rules are in place for safety. For example, a driver could get tired and get into an accident.
"If you don't follow those regulations, I mean, you're not going to be driving a bus or anything," Stepp said.
Pippin said the right way to complete a trip that far would involve placing a rested driver along the route so they could continue the trip and get a full 10 hours of driving.
The pair dug their heels in and settled on Knoxville because that was as far as they could go.
Following that trip, Cowtown Charters was paid to make a second trip.
Drivers Andy Slawek and another who just wanted to go by Michael went to the convention center and waited for orders.
Both said they experienced similar disorganization that Stepp and Burris encountered.
"The planning was terrible, and I felt like again there was coercion to get us to go over federal regulations," Michael said.
"We kind of looked at each other and wondered what we were getting ourselves into," Slawek said.
Michael told WFAA that he and Slawek were asked to drive to New York as well and refused.
They stopped in Knoxville like the other team.
All four drivers said the conditions on the bus were also horrendous. For example, the emergency toilet at times overflowed because none of the children could get off the bus.
Some were on other busses for hours beforehand.
"I don't know how the kids sat back there," Stepp said. "I really felt bad for them. They had to sit in unsanitary conditions."
MVM has made headlines over its involvement in transporting migrant children and families.
In 2018, MVM was caught holding children, many separated from their parents, in an abandoned Phoenix office building.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also criticized MVM after hearing reports that migrant children stayed in some busses overnight at the convention center.
"There's no excuse for this kind of treatment," Psaki said last month.
Pippin said that he filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation about what happened.
When WFAA asked Homeland Security about everything, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said it would review Pippin's allegations with its federal partners.
"We're going to go to the fullest extent to take care of these children," Pippin said. "But we're not going to go outside of the rules."
A spokesperson for MVM sent WFAA the following statement.
"These allegations are baseless. MVM does not operate these bus charters and is not involved in booking or managing these bus drivers. MVM hires a charter company, in this case ICS Charters, to book the bus operators and manage these trips. We have been in touch with ICS and been assured that all of the bus charters they have managed as part of their work with MVM follow federal regulations."
ICS charters sent a similar response:
"In response to allegations that MVM, Inc. has requested the referenced bus charter company violate DOT Regulations, these claims are unfounded and illegitimate. MVM, Inc. has never requested that DOT Regulations be violated in connection with any and all bus charter moves carried out. ICS Charters ("ICS") ensures that bus companies used in support of MVM, Inc. adhere to all DOT Regulations at all times and ascertains that all bus companies have a SATISFACTORY rating with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Our number one priority is making sure that all passengers under our care are transported safely.
We are proud to assist the federal government in addressing the unprecedented influx at the Southern Border and would like to thank the heroes of Border Patrol, ICE, CBP, DHS, HHS, and all other parties who put themselves in harm's way to assure that children are protected from trafficking, homelessness, and gang involvement due to their vulnerability as unaccompanied minors."