I just re-watched the scenes. The warehouse is clearly an entirely different location, with higher ceilings and much more space. They showed the entire interior, and it was completely clean, with no sign of equipment having been bolted to the floor before. And the exterior shots show it is in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around it. It would make sense that it is a warehouse owned by Pollos somewhere.
The laundry is almost filled with large washers, dryers, and other equipment. However, when we first see Gus checking it out in BCS season 3, it is for sale and clearly not operational. Gus would not have resumed its operation as a laundry before constructing the superlab. Also, we’ve seen in BB, and been told in BCS, that it’s inside of town.
It surprises me that they would house the workers off site. Shuttling a van full of illegal immigrants back and forth every night over a considerable distance has to be a major security risk. What if there’s an accident? And the laundry’s neighborhood is not completely deserted. Surely someone, maybe a security guard at one of the other buildings in the area, is going to notice a van entering a supposedly closed laundry every single night for six months and start wondering - especially when they hear blasting (which Werner said they would have to do).
Still, I thought it was a nice touch that the housing for the workers had verandas and fake decorative shutters. Obviously they were built from pre-fab kits.
On what kind of visa? Tourist visas for Germans are limited to 90 days. In any case, they assuredly would not have had an employment visa, which would involve much more traceable paperwork. It’s possible, maybe even probable they entered on tourist visas, but overstaying and working would be illegal. No doubt they have some way to get around the overstaying issue, but it seems like falsifying employment visas would be a big risk. Whatever the case, what they are doing is illegal. Do you think they are paying taxes on their earnings?
If there’s an accident, and a bunch of Germans are found in the back of a windowless van (which it would have to be to avoid having the workers wear hoods and attracting even more attention) in the middle of the night, what tourist destination are they going to tell them they are going to?
It’s not a plot hole though I suppose it could become one. Transporting 7 guys to an abandoned laundromat 5 days a week for a year is hardly the crime of the century. What do you imagine would happen in the real world? Suspicious neighbors of the laundromat reporting a panel van arriving every day?
Entering at night, evidently. And as I said upthread, there will be security guards at night at the neighboring industrial properties, who are suspicious by nature.
By itself, maybe it wouldn’t be enough for someone to report it to police. But there is going to be noise from drilling and blasting that will be impossible to cover up entirely. People are going to wonder, if someone is doing work there, why are they doing it only at night?
I really don’t get the big deal. The abandoned laundromat was recently bought legit. Even if the cops come, you have someone at the door who says you are doing some upgrades to get it back up running to code.
I see the smilie, but Werner said they were going so deep they would undoubtedly hit rock, and this meant blasting. Neither Mike nor Gus said anything to rule it out. They already have the geological report.
Mike asks the French engineer if he can do it without blasting. When he assures him he won’t have to, Mike and Gus know he is bullshitting and decide not to hire him.
I’m sure you would have to file building plans and get a permit for such extensive work.
Now the cops might not bother to check. But the point is that running the crew back and forth exposes them to much greater chance of discovery than if they were housed on site. And working at night immediately raises suspicion.
The Frenchman says to Mike that he thinks he can do it in six months. Mike asks “Even with blasting?” The Frenchman replies that the geological report was “very thorough” and he’s sure he can do it without blasting. Mike asks him again if his six-month estimate includes no blasting. When the Frenchman reiterates this, Mike gets a call that’s obviously from Gus, who has been listening in, and tells Gus “That’s what I thought.” He then tells the Frenchman “Thank you for your time.” Both Mike and Gus know that blasting is necessary, and when the Frenchman says it’s not, they decide not to hire him.
Werner, on the other hand, says “Going this deep, we will surely hit rock, which means blasting” and makes a exploding sound. Mike says nothing in response. Werner goes on to identify and explain all the other difficulties. Gus comes in at that point and asks, “So, it’s impossible?” Werner replies “Dangerous. Difficult. Very, very expensive. But not quite impossible.” At that point Gus introduces himself in German. He has obviously decided to hire Werner because he clearly understands all the problems they have already identified.
I’m sure that Germans cannot get on a plane to the United States without a valid visa. And I’m sure that if they attempt to go back to Germany, they will have these visas checked when they go to the airport. If they get caught with fake visas, that will raise even more questions.
Are you proposing that Gus got them legal work visas? And they were reporting their income? Because that would be what would be necessary for their activities in the US to be legal. Any non-resident alien working in the US is required to pay US income tax on income earned in the US.
It’s possible that they have entered on tourist visas, and they have some way to get them out without the fact they have overstayed their visas being discovered. Getting fake passports with fake visas and fake stamps may not be beyond Gus or Madrigal’s capabilities. But the fact remains that unless they are reporting their income they are engaged in illegal activities.
This is an irrelevant nitpick. Do you think that even if Gus finagled work visas, the information on those applications was completely correct? If you want to nitpick, its possible they entered the US legally, but they are immigrants who are engaged in illegal activities. If they are picked up by authorities, their status will come under scrutiny, which is the main point.
Almost surely, but it doesn’t matter with regard to their tax obligation. Even as foreign nationals, they are required to pay US income tax on money earned doing work in the US, regardless where it is paid. I’m required to pay tax on income earned from US sources, even though I don’t even live there.
It’s relevant because you called them “illegal immigrants” without any proof except faulty explanations of maybe not paying taxes, which can easily be gotten around, even despite the fact that even if they DON’T pay taxes, not paying taxes doesn’t make you an “illegal immigrant”
Perhaps when the job is done, they will fly back to Germany, get paid, and pay US taxes then, including fees and penalties if required.
Who said they are not paying taxes anyway? Nobody, that’s who.
Again, this is a pointless nitpick to my main point. If an accident or breakdown happens, finding bunch of Germans being driven around in a windowless van in the middle of the night could easily result in people starting to ask inconvenient questions, even if they ostensibly have legal work permits. Shuttling the workers back and forth every night is a risk, compared to housing them on site (although there’s little room inside the laundry, and you would still have to bring in food and other supplies.)
Germans don’t need a visa to visit America. Obviously, they would need one if they admitted they were there for work but like most friendly Western citizens there’s just a 90 day limit on your visit. If you’re worried about the trip home, drive them to Mexico and fly out from there.
