Out of many problems with this form of lying, these State Department reports are used as presumptive evidence in asylum cases.

Let’s say someone from El Salvador comes to the to US and requests political asylum in grounds of torture and persecution. The government submits as evidence this State Dept report that says that there is no torture in El Salvador. The immigration judge is required by law to presume that the State Dept is telling the truth. Then it’s up to the asylum claimant to provide hard evidence to rebut that presumption.