Labor Organizer and Author Saket Soni on The Great Escape

Join Michael in his conversation with Saket Soni about his inspiring new book, The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America.

Saket Soni shares his journey as an immigrant and labor organizer and his involvement in uncovering one of the largest human trafficking schemes in modern US history. The scheme involved 500 Indian workers who were promised green cards and brought to the US to work on rebuilding projects after Hurricane Katrina. However, they were instead subjected to forced labor and lived in deplorable conditions. Saket and a small group of workers organized an escape plan and worked to bring attention to their situation. The book explores the themes of immigration, labor rights, and human trafficking. The conversation explores the story of forced labor and immigrant dreams in America, focusing on the book 'The Great Escape'. It discusses the challenges faced by immigrant workers, their fight for justice, and the corruption within the system. The conversation also highlights the importance of resilience workers in the face of climate disasters and the work being done by Resilience Force to protect and support these workers.

About Our Guest

Saket is a labor organizer and human rights strategist working at the intersection of racial justice, migrant rights, and climate change. He is the founder and director of Resilience Force, the voice of the rising workforce rebuilding America after climate disasters. 

He was a 2022-23 Aspen Institute Fellow, and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business for 2022