Human Trafficking: Modern-day Slavery in America

RippDemUpTV

3 Dec 201005:27

Summary

TLDRThe script narrates the harrowing ordeal of girls trafficked from Ghana and Togo to the U.S., enslaved for years in Newark, New Jersey, working in hair braiding salons. Deprived of their childhood and freedom, they endured inhumane conditions and financial exploitation. The traffickers, a family involved in this heinous crime for profit, were eventually convicted, with the ringleader sentenced to 27 years. The story highlights the shocking reality of modern-day slavery and the resilience of the survivors who, after a tip to ICE, were finally liberated.

Takeaways

📜 The video script discusses a shocking case of modern-day slavery in the United States where young girls were held as slaves for years.
🌍 The victims were brought from West African nations, Ghana and Togo, under the false promise of an American education.
🕊️ The girls were instead forced into labor in Hair Braiding salons in Newark, New Jersey, with their captors taking all their earnings.
🕒 The girls worked seven days a week, sometimes up to 14 hours a day, enduring this for five to six years.
🗝️ The traffickers controlled every aspect of the girls' lives, leaving them trapped with no freedom and insufficient food.
💔 The victims lost their childhood and trust due to the actions of the traffickers, experiencing profound emotional and physical trauma.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The traffickers were a family unit, with the wife as the ringleader and her husband and son as accomplices.
💰 The motive behind the trafficking was financial gain, with the traffickers making approximately four million dollars from the girls' labor.
🏢 The US Attorney's Office in New Jersey prosecuted the case, leading to convictions and lengthy prison sentences for the traffickers.
🏡 The girls were held in seemingly normal houses in American neighborhoods, masking the horrific conditions they were living in.
🚨 It took a tip to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and subsequent surveillance to finally rescue the girls and expose the operation.
🏛️ A notebook found at the scene, with the Statue of Liberty on its cover, ironically documented the tips the girls received, highlighting the contrast between the promise of freedom and their reality.

Q & A

What was the situation of the girls mentioned in the transcript?
-The girls were victims of human trafficking, held as slaves in Newark, New Jersey, for years, controlled by their captors and forced to work in Hair Braiding salons.
What did the traffickers promise the girls before bringing them to the U.S.?
-The traffickers promised the girls an American education, but instead, they were enslaved and forced to work in salons.
How long did the girls work each day and week under the control of the traffickers?
-The girls worked seven days a week, sometimes for as long as 14 hours a day, for five to six years.
What were the conditions the girls were living in according to the script?
-The girls were living in filthy conditions with mattresses on the floor and were kept in several houses in Newark and East Orange.
Who were the main traffickers involved in this case as mentioned in the transcript?
-The main traffickers were Ikuo Furusawa, his wife Lisi, and their son Derek, with Lisi being the ringleader.
What was the financial gain for the traffickers from enslaving the girls?
-The traffickers made about four million dollars off the girls by taking all the money they earned.
What was the role of the US Attorney for New Jersey in this case?
-Paul Fishman, the US Attorney for New Jersey, prosecuted the case, which resulted in convictions for the traffickers.
What were the sentences given to the traffickers by the Newark Court?
-Ikuo Furusawa was sentenced to 27 years in prison, the father got 24 years, and the son received four and a half years.
How did the girls' situation come to the attention of authorities?
-A tip came to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which led to months of surveillance and eventually a raid on the houses where the girls were held.
What did the ICE agents find during the raid of the houses?
-The ICE agents found the girls living in poor conditions, bags of cash, the girls' passports, and a notebook used to track the tips they received at the salon.
How did the girls feel after being freed from their captors?
-The girls, now young women, felt relieved and happy to be free, with some expressing that they cried and were overwhelmed by the experience.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ Modern Slavery in America: The Unseen Chains

This paragraph tells the harrowing story of young girls from West Africa, trafficked to the U.S. under the false promise of education. Instead, they were enslaved in Newark, New Jersey, working in hair braiding salons for years without pay or freedom. The victims recount the loss of their childhood and the severe conditions they endured, including inadequate food and constant surveillance. The traffickers, a family from the local area, profited immensely from this exploitation, amassing about four million dollars from the girls' labor. The U.S. Attorney's office prosecuted the case, resulting in significant prison sentences for the traffickers. The narrative emphasizes the shocking reality of modern slavery, happening in plain sight within American communities.

05:03

🏆 Justice Served: The Traffickers' Downfall

In this paragraph, the focus shifts to the aftermath of the trafficking ordeal. The trafficker, referred to as 'she', is revealed to have been sentenced for her heinous crimes. The victims express a sense of closure and relief, feeling that justice has been served. Amber Lyon of CNN reports from Newark, New Jersey, highlighting the emotional response of the victims to the outcome of the case. The summary underscores the importance of recognizing and combating the issue of human trafficking, which continues to be a profitable and devastating crime worldwide.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Victims

Victims in this context refers to individuals who have been subjected to harm or wrongdoing. The video script discusses girls who were victims of human trafficking, highlighting the tragic reality that they were deceived and enslaved in a foreign country. The term is used to emphasize the girls' loss of freedom and the violation of their rights.

💡Slavery

Slavery is a system in which individuals are treated as property and are forced to work against their will. The script reveals that these girls were held as slaves in America, working in hair braiding salons for years without pay, a stark reminder of the persistence of this abhorrent practice in modern times.

💡Human Trafficking

Human trafficking involves the illegal trade of people for exploitation or forced labor. The video script describes how the girls were brought to the U.S. under false pretenses and then forced into labor, illustrating the nefarious tactics used by traffickers to exploit vulnerable individuals.

💡West African Nations

West African Nations, specifically Ghana and Togo in this context, are the countries from which the girls were taken. The script points out the international nature of human trafficking, showing how individuals from various parts of the world can be targeted and exploited.

💡Enslaved

Enslaved is a term used to describe individuals who are forced into a state of servitude. The script uses this term to describe the girls' situation, emphasizing the extreme control exerted over their lives, including their movements and work.

💡Traffickers

Traffickers are individuals involved in the illegal trade of people. The script identifies a family as the main culprits in this case, showing the personal nature of the crime and the direct involvement of specific individuals in the exploitation of the girls.

💡Hair Braiding Salons

Hair braiding salons are the places where the girls were forced to work. The script highlights the irony of these seemingly ordinary businesses being the sites of forced labor, showing how such exploitation can occur in plain sight.

💡Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey is the location where the girls were enslaved. The script uses this geographical reference to ground the story in a specific place, making the issue more tangible and relatable to viewers.

💡Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws and customs regulations. The script mentions ICE as the entity that ultimately intervened to free the girls, demonstrating the role of law enforcement in combating human trafficking.

💡Profitability

Profitability in this context refers to the financial gain derived from human trafficking. The script points out that the traffickers made about four million dollars from the girls, underscoring the economic motivations behind such crimes.

💡Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and opportunity in the U.S. The script ironically mentions a notebook with the Statue of Liberty on its cover, used by the girls to track their tips, highlighting the contrast between the promise of freedom and the reality of their enslavement.

Highlights

These girls were victims of something hard to believe, something you might never expect, something that happened in plain sight.

The girls were held as slaves in America, not for a week or a month, but for years.

Nicole and Zena, along with another 20 girls, were brought to the U.S. from Ghana and Togo nearly a decade ago, promised an American education, but instead enslaved in Newark, New Jersey.

The traffickers took the girls' childhood, their teenage years, and their trust, essentially taking everything away from them.

The girls were forced to work in hair braiding salons, serving customers all day, with their captors taking all the money they earned.

The girls worked seven days a week, sometimes for 14 hours a day, for five to six years.

The traffickers held the girls in several houses in Newark and East Orange, hiding in plain sight in seemingly ordinary neighborhoods.

The traffickers were Ikuo Via Falahbe, her husband Lisi, and their son Derek, who made about four million dollars off the girls.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, resulting in convictions and long prison sentences for the traffickers.

Human trafficking is extremely profitable, sometimes even more so than drug trafficking.

Zena described how the girls walked every morning to the hair salon, slaves walking in plain sight of an entire community.

The girls were shielded from the outside world, virtually hidden in plain sight.

After months of surveillance, ICE agents raided the houses, finding the girls living in filthy conditions with mattresses on the floor.

Agents found hidden bags of cash and the girls' passports, along with a notebook used to track their tips, ironically featuring a picture of the Statue of Liberty on the cover.

After so much pain, the girls were finally free, overwhelmed with joy and relief as their captors were brought to justice.