The amnesty provisions are extensive. For example, though the main legalization program would be restricted to those who could prove they had lived in the U.S. for five years, recent arrivals would not be shut out. The Democratic plan would allow them to apply for a "transitional status" good for five years. After that, they could seek green cards.
The Democrats' plan also addresses backlogs that can mean years of waiting for immigrants trying to join their relatives already living in the United States -- a concern for other immigrants as well as Latinos.
Close relatives would be exempted from numerical limits on family-based immigration. Visa applicants waiting for more than five years would be granted admission, regardless of per-country numerical limits.
The United States admits about 1 million legal immigrants each year, and such family-reunification measures could lead to a significant increase over time.
The Democrats' guest-worker program would be more restrictive than Bush's. It is likely to prove unacceptable to business groups.
The Bush plan requires employers to show that they could not find a U.S. worker for the job. But it sets no limit on the number of foreign workers who would be allowed entry, guaranteed only the minimum wage. The Democratic plan sets an annual limit of 350,000 visas for low-skilled workers. It would require employers to pay "prevailing wages" keyed to union pay scales.
"It has to be a wish list, because the Democrats don't control anything," said Papademetriou. "What they are trying to do is create a conversation."
Proponents of restrictions on immigration predicted that the Democrats' plan and Bush's plan would prove equally unpopular with a majority of voters, particularly the native-born.
"John Kerry certainly doesn't want to become known as the illegal alien amnesty candidate, although Bush is too in a way," said Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies. "I see this as a way to appeal to the Hispanic voting base."
On Monday, White House officials are scheduled to meet with about 70 representatives of Latino community service organizations from around the country. The activists want Bush to push harder for his immigration reform plan.
A spokesman for the group, Oscar Chacon of the Heartland Alliance in Chicago, said the Democratic plan might have broader appeal among Latinos.
