For 2019, the Homeland Security Department counted roughly 190,000 green-card holders living in Arizona as potentially eligible to naturalize.

On Saturday, the local chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association hopes to reduce that number by helping people get ready to apply for citizenship.

Some permanent residents don’t know how to start the naturalization process, said attorney Rosetta Thompson. 

“But it also requires a lot of paperwork and fees. So we know there are many obstacles that can prevent a green-card holder from becoming a citizen,” she said.

This year’s citizenship drive is also being used to help people apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or seek a renewal, Thompson said.