Justice Department May 22 Reprogramming Proposal Concerning the Immigration and Naturalization Service

GAO discussed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposal for reprogramming Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) resources to respond to the influx of Central American and Soviet immigrants. GAO noted that: (1) INS received funding from a lump-sum salaries and expenses appropriation, and had authority to shift or reprogram funds among its individual programs; (2) INS also had authority to use its immigration examination fee account for funding its adjudications and naturalization program; and (3) DOJ proposed to reprogram up to $30 million from the INS adjudications and naturalization program to INS detention and deportation, Border Patrol, legal proceedings, and refugees and overseas programs, and to use the INS immigration examination fee account to replenish the adjudications and naturalization program. GAO believes that, while the proposed reprogramming of INS funds would not violate its reprogramming authority, the effect of the proposal would be the use of proceeds from the immigration examinations fee account for purposes other than enhancing adjudications and naturalization services, which could violate congressional intent.