White House: Immigration steps would boost GDP

WASHINGTON - The White House says President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions would boost the economy by expanding the U.S. labor force and increasing worker productivity. It says average wages would rise over a 10 year period, a claim that Obama critics and even some labor allies dispute.

The report by Obama's Council of Economic Advisers estimates the administrative actions would increase the gross domestic product by $90 billion, or 0.4 percent, over 10 years. It says wages for native workers will rise by 0.3 percent by 2024

The report aims to counter critics such as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who say the executive measures would reduce wages and cost American workers' jobs. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka also says Obama's moves to provide access to temporary visas could suppress wages in the tech sector.

Obama's actions could spare nearly 5 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. from deportation and make them eligible for work permits.