If ICE had been at the first Christmas

[Igel]

3. Why?

Because Jews were considered unauthorized residents of Judea or the Galilee? That's a very ... um ... one-sided and questionable way of viewing the area at the time.

Even when they headed off to (probably) Alexandria they still didn't leave their country. Egypt was Roman, Judea was Roman, Galilee was Roman. They could have gone to what's now Portugal, Romania, Tunisia or Turkey and still cross no foreign borders--just what amounts to 'state' borders. Even Paul in his journeys never left "his country", esp. since he was apparently a Roman citizen (which conferred legal rights but no additional rights to movement within the empire).

And especially if the account is true and they just back at their clan's home in order to be registered in the official census at the time.