A few days ago I spoke to someone I have known a long time who is very familiar with the business. She is a long time Asian spa owner. She says trafficked Asian Massage Therapists are actually very, very rare. She said there are so many women who want to come to the U.S. for the money and they know exactly what they are getting into. She added the reason some "live" at the business is to save money because most of them are here on temporary work visas and want to maximize the money they bring or send back home before they have to return.
And she also confirmed the majority of the Asian Spas as well as non-Asian privately owned spas and most privately practicing therapists (with the exception being franchise places like Massage Envy or Hand N Stone - though there are exceptions in those also) are happily providing "extras," some providing a longer list of them than others.
She says law enforcement looks the other way unless there are neighbor complaints mostly because it's usually victimless and they pretty well know they can never stop it.
My comment: the theater these law enforcement agencies put on with the press, repeatedly using the phrase "human trafficking," was embarrassing given the facts do not seem to indicate any trafficking was going on. The term gets undue play and attention of course because nobody approves of it and the press will sensationalize it every time. It makes both the press and law enforcement look foolish.
Final comment from the Spa Owner I know, she is extremely resentful of law enforcement associating Asian Spas with human trafficking. "It almost never happens," she said.