t costs against the owner of nine Houston and Beaumont massage establishments suspected of engaging in human trafficking. Any unpaid part of the judgment will accrue additional penalties of 8.5 percent interest compounded annually.
Chen is permanently barred from owning, operating, managing or working in any massage establishment in Texas. The injunction arose out of a May 30 emergency closure order against one of Chen’s establishments. TDLR inspectors had found several indicators of possible human trafficking, including people living in the establishment, incomplete client consultation documents and unlicensed massage therapists. Chen had a previous enforcement case with TDLR involving similar conduct.
The original emergency closure order issued in May 2024 against Chen and his establishments was the first emergency closure ordered by TDLR under authority granted by House Bill 3579, authored by Rep. Ben Bumgarner and sponsored by Sen. Phil King, and passed by the 88th Texas Legislature. Under the law, which went into effect on Sept.