We spent more than 12 hours with just one of the teams working to take these individuals into custody.
They were going after more than 100 people identified as targets.
Agents say they were targeting people who have previous criminal convictions and were back in the country illegally.
Our day with the team started hours before sunrise in the car with Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.
"It's 3:45 a.m. We're in Fresno, California. We're headed to a briefing location for law enforcement officers and agents to kind of plan their enforcement action this morning," said King.
The team, which is just one of dozens throughout the Central Valley, met to brief everyone on their first target.
Action News was asked not to show their faces both for their own safety and to keep the integrity of their operation, but the group included local FBI agents.
They were recently given immigration authority by the Secretary of Homeland Security under Title 8.
At 4:22 a.m., the team headed to the location of their first target after being debriefed.
The target was a man who had been deported once.
Officials say he has a conviction of possession of and purchase of narcotics for sale.
"We're going into an apartment complex with a known bulldog gang activity. So, it's important that we get in, get the violator, and then get out so we can do this safely," said King.
We sat and waited for more than two hours.
Agents expected the target from Mexico to leave based on his previous patterns.
When he didn't, they went to knock on the door instead.
They say a woman answered, invited them to look inside and he wasn't there.
Agents moved on to their next target in Sanger.
They say the man was previously deported to Mexico and has a criminal record.
"He's got a conviction for forgery, multiple drug possession cases as well as vehicle theft," said King.
While waiting in the car once again, Action News asked King about what happens when teams encounter their target with other people.
"If we do encounter someone during these targeted enforcement operations, and they're in front of us, we have to identify them and take appropriate action based on their history," explained King.
"If there are concerns like childcare concerns, we do have discretion on the issuing of other documentation and not taking them into custody because that's also important to us. We want to make sure, especially if there are any kids, underage kids, that they're getting proper support."
After about an hour and a half of surveillance, agents knocked on the target's door and checked his car, but didn't find him.
Agents regrouped and were briefed on a third target they received a tip about in Fresno.
"Tipster alleged that he's known to carry guns and narcotics he was previously removed to Mexico," an agent explained.
Once again, agents set up in the neighborhoods of two known addresses for the target but did not find him.
After spending several hours searching two locations, agents moved to a home they had developed intel on.
Agents knocked on the door and were invited into the home, but did not find the target.
In Madera County, another team took a 78-year-old El Salvadorian man into custody.
"The individual had an affiliation with MS 13 and a revoked visa," King explained.
King told us they were taking the man to a Fresno office for processing and then he would be sent to a Bakersfield immigration center for processing and have an opportunity to see an immigration judge.
At the end of the day, Action News asked ICE about the bigger picture.
"People are already fearful in the community about being deported. They're fearful about ICE being in their communities. They're going to watch this and see that ICE is in their neighborhood. What would be your message to them?" asked Action News.
"We're doing targeted enforcement, looking at threats, individuals that are preying on their own communities, making sure that they're safe and knowing again that it's very strategic work," King said.
"There's no sweeps going on. We are focused on individuals that we think are a threat to the community and we'll continue doing so. I also think it's important that individuals not associate with criminals. It's important that they know who they are associating with for their own sake as well as for the sake of their loved ones."
In the end, we're told federal authorities took a total of 44 people into custody during the three-day operation here in Central California.
ICE tells Action News they were all involved in illicit activities.
For news updates, follow Jessica Harrington on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.