I realized I needed to understand where the freeze was. In a tub, the "P-trap" (the U-shaped pipe underneath) holds water to stop sewer gas from coming up. If that water isn't moving and the pipe is against an exterior wall or in a crawlspace with no insulation, that standing water turns into a solid plug of ice.
When you cannot physically access the plumbing underneath your home, you must lower the freezing point of the ice mass directly through the drain opening. YouTube·The Bathtubber How to Fix a Frozen Bathtub Drain (Without Ruining It!)