Comment by cyberax
B1/B2 visa allows some construction work: https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/B-1%20perm...
In particular, worker training and equipment installation/setup. This seems to be exactly the case there.
B1/B2 visa allows some construction work: https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/B-1%20perm...
In particular, worker training and equipment installation/setup. This seems to be exactly the case there.
But what is "construction"? If it means "building walls", sure.
But what about assembling and installing the battery presses? Or maybe setting up the electrical connections for them?
It is a genuinely ambiguous area, and I won't be surprised if Korean companies tried to push it a bit too far. This still doesn't excuse the ICE behavior a bit. They could have just revoked the visas and asked employees to leave.
It's also quite clear that the Korean companies were not flying engineers here to save on wages.
In other guidance, "construction" is specifically excluded from the permission to "install equipment". That's not a very clear distinction, especially for large industrial machines, though I do see their general intent, to permit work requiring equipment-specific skills but exclude work that a locally-hired employee could do about as easily.
https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/BusinessVisa%20Pu...
I don't think this greatly changes your general point. It's likely that many of those detained were in fact lawfully present.