Authentication with Environment Variables returning error

[dudeOFprosper]

I am attempting to use Environment Variables, inside of my .env file, to load my BROWSERSTACK_USERNAME & BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEY credentials.

If I add my Browserstack credentials into the auth object within the browserstack.json file, I have no issues authenticating and running my Cypress tests. But if I move these values in my BROWSERSTACK_USERNAME & BROWSERSTACK_ACCESS_KEY variables inside of my .env file and run the same command, I am getting this error:

{
  message: "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'username')",
  stack: "TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'username')\n" +
    '    at /Users/billpond/code/comparecredit/packages/cc-www/node_modules/browserstack-cypress-cli/bin/helpers/getInitialDetails.js:12:33\n' +
    '    at new Promise (<anonymous>)\n' +
    '    at exports.getInitialDetails (/Users/billpond/code/comparecredit/packages/cc-www/node_modules/browserstack-cypress-cli/bin/helpers/getInitialDetails.js:8:10)\n' +
    '    at /Users/billpond/code/comparecredit/packages/cc-www/node_modules/browserstack-cypress-cli/bin/commands/runs.js:87:86\n' +
    '    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:95:5)'
}

When debugging, I have logged out my "process.env" value in the setUsername function in the util.js file. When I did this, I do not see any of my .env values within that process. It seems like the only values included were the typical node values inside of the process: https://pastebin.com/syj8rRAN

I have tried both node versions v18.18.2 and v20.17.0 and ran into the same issue. To run this code, I have been running a command in my package.json that is set to "e2e:browserstack": "browserstack-cypress run"

I am trying to follow the documentation mentioned here: https://www.browserstack.com/docs/automate/cypress/authentication

Thank you so much in advance!