SERGIO BUSTOS
Citizen Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Top Democratic lawmakers, immigration advocates and union leaders today will introduce legislation that would legalize millions of immigrants and permit up to 350,000 foreigners to work in the United States on temporary visas.
The Democrats' bill would be generous to illegal immigrants. They could qualify for a green card or permanent legal residence if they proved they had lived in the United States for five consecutive years and had worked here at least two years.

Their spouses and children younger than 21 would be eligible.

The legislation stands almost no chance of passing before the end of the year, but Democrats hope to use it in hopes of showing that President Bush and most Republicans in Congress are not interested in pursuing any measure that would benefit the country's 8 million to 10 million illegal immigrants.

Immigration critics accused Bush and Democrats of "trading votes for visas."

"In their quest to cater to cheap labor and ethnic lobbies, the two parties are alienating a huge segment of the general voting public that doesn't think the politicians get it," said Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports restricting immigration.