Texas Company Paid Extremist Group $20 Million for Operation Lone Star Busing

https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2024/04/02/texas-company-paid-extremist-group-20-million-operation-lone-star-busing

A cache of documents related to Texas’ Operation Lone Star reveals that state contractor Wynne Transportation, LLC, paid over $20 million to an antigovernment extremist group to bus migrants in “inhumane” conditions. The documents also reveal the tangled web of limited liability companies that Texas pays to bus immigrants from its border with Mexico.

A contractor for the state of Texas appears to have paid millions for busing immigrants and asylum seekers to antigovernment extremist organization Mayhem Solutions Group, according to public records and hundreds of invoices Hatewatch obtained. The documents also shed light on the muddled world of state contractors.

Texas awarded Wynne Transportation, LLC, a contract for “transportation management services” that started on Aug. 21, 2020, and ends on Dec. 31, 2024. Texas has spent over $124 million on transporting migrants to sanctuary cities, The Hill reported on Feb. 3. Most of these payments went to Wynne Transportation, LLC, according to a review of the records, which Hatewatch obtained through an information request.

The busing program is part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star,” aimed at slowing down border crossings. Operation Lone Star is steeped in controversy. Wynne Transportation began busing immigrants through MSG in April 2022 and ended its relationship with MSG in April 2023, after Texas required Wynne to reduce costs. MSG did not respond to a request for comment.

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