Chertoff Scolds Senate On Immigration

WASHINGTON — The homeland security chief yesterday scolded the Senate for failing to pass an immigration bill and said it will be difficult for the government to crack down on illegal workers.

"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."

Last week, President Bush's plan to legalize as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants while fortifying the border and strengthening enforcement collapsed in the Senate. The measure fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to reach final passage. Three-quarters of the Senate's Republicans voted to derail the bill.