Joe Biden

Analysis: Biden’s Executive Order Isn’t ‘Amnesty’ and Should Be Celebrated

The order will provide a pathway to legal status for undocumented spouses who have been in the country for at least 10 years and the children of U.S. citizens

Arturo Dominguez
7 min readJun 19, 2024

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Photo by René DeAnda on Unsplash

Despite the hype from conservatives surrounding the word amnesty while referring to migrants as illegals, President Joe Biden’s executive order providing a pathway to gaining legal status for many spouses and children of U.S. citizens is anything but. Instead, it provides much-needed relief to thousands of mixed-status families — tax-paying, hard-working families.

Let’s cover the basics.

  • Spouses are required to have been in the U.S. for at least 10 years as of June 17, 2024
  • Must have a legally valid marriage to a U.S. citizen as of June 17, 2024
  • Can’t have a criminal history or constitute a threat to national security or public safety
  • Those eligible have resided in the U.S. for an average of 23 years

Unbeknownst to many, those who will benefit from the executive order are already eligible for a green card in the current system. The order helps by removing a barrier…

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Arturo Dominguez

Journalist covering Congress, Racial Justice, Human Rights, Cuba, Texas | Editor: The Antagonist Magazine |