DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of CD19+ non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  • Primary refractory or multiply relapsed (after at least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens) disease
  • Ineligible for bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 18

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 3,000/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL
• Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times normal
• SGPT less than 2 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min

Other:

• No human-anti-murine-antibody response to prior murine monoclonal antibodies
• No immunological or inflammatory disease (e.g., lupus erythematosus)
• No active serious infection
• No other serious medical condition that would limit survival to less than 2 years
• No other active malignancy except non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude study
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Prior immunotherapy allowed

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Concurrent steroids for adrenal failure or adverse reactions to study drug allowed
• Concurrent hormonal therapy for non-disease related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes) allowed

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified