WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Granting eligible illegal immigrants the right to stay in the United States and obtain work permits under US President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration would increase US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $164 billion, the public policy think tank Center for American Progress said in a report.
“DAPA [Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents] would result in a cumulative gross domestic product, or GDP, increase of $164 billion,” the report, issued on Tuesday, said.
The report shows that implementing Obama’s measure would create 20,538 jobs per year over the next ten years and add $88 billion to the incomes of US citizens.
The Center for American Progress also said that 3.7 million immigrants would benefit from the measure.
It also argued that implementing Obama’s action on immigration is beneficial for US politicians from an elections point of view.
Current illegal immigrants have 5.5 million US citizen children, 1.7 million of whom will be of voting age by the 2020 presidential election.
“It is impossible to deny the likely effect that blocking implementation of a program that would protect loved ones would have on the reasoning of these voters,” the Center for American Progress said.
In December 2014, US state of Texas Governor Gregory Abbott filed a collective lawsuit against the Obama administration, opposing what he described as an attempt by the President to circumvent the US Constitution.
The lawsuit resulted in a temporary ban on the executive action, which was not lifted by the Texas Federal Judge Andrew Hanen even upon the Obama administration's request.
