Investigation of Alleged Nazi War Criminals Residing in the United States by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice

In May 1978, GAO issued a report in response to questions of whether Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) personnel deliberately obstructed active prosecution of alleged Nazi war criminals or engaged in a conspiracy to withold or quash information. Information was provided by a number of federal and international agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency prepared summaries in lieu of providing original documents on the cases selected for review. It was understood that Department of Justice guidance would be sought for cases under current or possible future litigation. Despite the limitations on access to records and files, the reviews were sufficient to support the conclusion that it was unlikely that a widespread conspiracy existed. However, the possibility of undetected, isolated instances of deliberate obstruction cannot be ruled out. In any event, the inherent difficulty of establishing the existence of a conspiracy must be recognized.