Free for 3 days, man back in jail

Jorge Ferreira, an Illegal immigrant, is accused of stalking in addition to a previous charge.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007
By MICHAEL BUCK
The Express-Times

An illegal immigrant living in Bethlehem was arrested early Monday morning on stalking charges three days after being released from Northampton County Prison.

Jorge Ferreira, 30, was released from the prison Friday after Isabel C. Santos posted 10 percent of his $10,000 bail, according to court documents. Ferreira, of the 1100 block of East Fourth Street, had been in prison since Sept. 2 related to a domestic violence incident that happened in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem Township police Sgt. Rick Blake said charges were filed Sept. 10 against Ferreira in connection with a stalking incident in late August.

Ferreira was picked up on the stalking charges Monday morning during a traffic stop by Lower Saucon Township police, Blake said. The charges stem from an Aug. 21-23 incident in which Ferreira was allegedly stalking a woman who works at the Hess Express, 3283 Easton Ave.

Blake said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has now placed a detainer on Ferreira that will keep him in prison even if he posts bail. He said the detainer was issued after Bethlehem Township police queried Ferreira's residency status.

ICE told Blake on Monday morning the detainer would be issued. Blake said it appeared that Bethlehem police did not question whether Ferreira was a legal resident.

"Somebody probably didn't call and check," Blake said. "We made sure we checked."

It is not clear whether Bethlehem police checked Ferreira's residency status. Bethlehem police officials could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said ICE does not automatically place a detainer on illegal residents when they are arrested. He said if they don't, "they can make bail just like everybody else.

"Just because you're here illegally, you're not always detained," Morganelli said. "I don't like it, but that's the way it works."

Morganelli said detainers are placed only if there are outstanding immigration issues.

Morganelli and Blake said procedure for checking immigration status is left to officers' discretion.

Blake said residency status is checked through a search in a federal database that has to be specifically asked for.

"It's basically an immigration query," Blake said, adding that the results can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours.

Ferreira is charged with stalking, criminal trespass and harassment. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $20,000.

Reporter Michael Buck can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at mbuck@express-times.com

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