Michael Chertoff

Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff is blasting the U.S. Senate for failing to pass an immigration bill, and claims the federal government doesn't have the ability to enforce laws when it comes to illegals working in America.

"We're going to continue to enforce the law. It's going to be tough," Michael Chertoff said. "We don't really have the ability to enforce the law with respect to illegal work in this country in a way that's truly effective."

Chertoff appeared on both "Fox News Sunday" and ABC's "This Week."

As WND reported, a procedural vote in the Senate effectively killed the controversial immigration reform bill crafted by the White House, Democrats and key Republican leaders.

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Chertoff said Senate opponents deprived his department of the ability to ensure stricter enforcement by requiring companies to enter in a system to check their employees' work status.

"That would be the single greatest additional weapon we could use if we're serious about tackling this problem," he said. "I wish we had some of the tools that were left on the floor of the Senate when they abandoned the bill last week, but we will do what we have to do with the resources we have at our disposal."

Though lawmakers from both parties have said further action on immigration was doubtful this year, Chertoff expressed hope an overhaul of the current system was not dead.

"I think we're going to say to the members of Congress who think they have a better way that they should produce legislation and pass legislation, which they have not done for the past two years," he said.

Chertoff also ridiculed the idea that a fence will help solve the problem of border security, pointing out recent efforts at tunneling under them.

"But I do have to say that for people who believe the answer is just fence, yesterday we discovered a tunnel," he said. "So fencing is not the cure-all for the problem at the border."

Editor's note: The current edition of WND's monthly Whistleblower is a cutting-edge look at the federal government's immigration policies – and how the nation's most vexing problem can be solved. It's titled "NATIONAL SUICIDE: How the government's immigration policies are destroying America."

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