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Immigration and Naturalization Service (U.S.)

image located by Jan Mertens, 3 November 2008

Description
Pennants

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Description

At www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/publicaffairs/communique/jul01_Comm.pdf are several partial pictures of what appears to be the Immigration and Naturalization Service flag or pennant, all in B&W. Putting together the bits and pieces, it looks like a B-W-B horizontal triband with the letters U.S., then the seal, then I.N.S. in block letters on the white stripe. From one picture, it appears that the letters read correctly on both sides of the flag. You can't tell whether the flag is a tapered, swallow-tailed pennant or not from these pictures.
Joe McMillan, 21 November 2001

A drawing captioned "Flag of INS to 1 Mar 2003" appears on the 'World Statesmen' site: www.worldstatesmen.org/USA_govt.html#INS

eBay offer no. 200262376188 (ended 17 Oct 2008) concerned this flag.
Comments: "Roughly 40" x 65" INCHES (…) Acquired in late 70s. Made by Colonial Nyl-Glo - 100% Nylon - exlusive of ornamentation - fast colors. Highest quality flag. Has tabs inside sleeve. Gold (I would say yellow, jm) fringed. All sewn construction. Lettering and emblem sewn on front and back. Except for the sewn-on blue circle in the center emblem, the Department of Justice is all embroidered. Dept of Justice emblem read correctly on front and back. USI&NS letters are sewn on front and back but read correctly on front only. Excellent condition."

I should add that the flag is horizontally divided BWB and has red initials "U.S. (Dept of Justice seal) I. & N.S.' in the central stripe.

Link to large picture of (current) seal: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:US-DeptOfJustice-Seal.svg and explanation: www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ls/dojseal.htm
Jan Mertens, 3 November 2008

Pennants

image by Joe McMillan, 22 November 2001

I found a Department of Justice solicitation for the purchase of INS pennants with a complete description:

Large pennants - Burgee shaped, 48 inches on the staff, 102 inches fly, 26 inches at the fly end, with a 25 inch swallowtail, the inside of the cut to be "well-rounded rather than sharp or V-shaped." The field white with the official seal of the INS, 11 1/4 inches in diameter. To the left, U.S. in red block letters, each 11 1/2 by 7 1/2 inches punctuated by square periods 2 inches square. To the right, I.& N.S. in red block letters, the I 11 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, the N and S and the punctuation as for the U.S., the ampersand 5 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, with the tails extending up to an inch to the right. Along each upper and lower edge, a blue stripe 6 1/4 inches wide.

With the exception of the inscription, I&NS instead of just IS and the substitution of the INS seal for that of the Department of Labor, this basic pennant design has been in use since the early 20th century. It appears in [gsh34] and [u9s38] that I know of, as well as other sources. I have seen mentions of its flying over immigration posts at various locations and was formerly flown in launches carrying immigration inspectors out to ships, although I don't believe this happens any longer. The Border Patrol is part of the INS, and operates patrol boats, but has its own flag and pennant, which I posted some time back.
Joe McMillan, 22 November 2001

See the incredibly detailed government procurement specs: www.fbodaily.com/cbd/archive/2001/09(September)/26-Sep-2001/83sol001.htm
Jan Mertens, 3 November 2008