I'm no expert but I guess ICE has to do a lot of preparatory work before any raid...."

No they don't......they can go to any employer and ask for documentation or any person and why not? They just don't want to and they blame it on not having enough funding from Congress which is probably true!
The agency must operate within some expected norms of behavior. This is because in the Federal Government, every detail of an agency's existence is tied to the budget, especially for the next FY (Fiscal Year). If you really annoy someone (say, in upper management, a US Rep or US Senator or worse....), then expect the offended person to take it out on your agency in the upcoming FY by cutting your budget.

I agree, that there is a legal framework for aggressively pursuing IAs, but ICE has to balance that with many other factors as well. I don't like it, but that's the way it is for now at least.

Many Federal agencies are chronically under-funded (compared to their mandated responsibilities; others aren't of course too). But, CPB and ICE are way under-resourced compared to what is truly needed at this point in time. Their careful and premeditated approach is a form of proactive CYA - as their critics are many and can be powerful.

I thank them (ICE, CBP) for doing the under-appreciated work that can be a real political 'hot potato' at times.


...The previous info offered from a former GS-11 within the Fed Gov't.