Tucson is joining a national initiative to help permanent residents gain their citizenship through government programs.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild on Tuesday is set to announce the city’s partnership with Cities for Citizenship, a national group aimed at helping at estimated 8.8 million eligible for citizenship.

“When eligible permanent residents become U.S. citizens, they benefit and the community benefits. Naturalized citizens earn more and pay more in taxes,” Rothschild said.

“But the process of applying for citizenship is not easy. We want to help those who are eligible to apply for citizenship overcome some of the hurdles to doing so, whether those are educational or financial.”

Locally, Chicanos Por La Causa, Citi, Vantage West Credit Union, Pima Community College, Pima County Public Library and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will work with the city to help applicants through the citizenship process.

Services that might be offered by locals groups include English as a Second Language and civic classes, a hotline and citizenship workshops.

The announcement is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m at El Pueblo Liberty Learning Center.


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Contact reporter Joe Ferguson at jferguson@tucson.com or 573-4197. On Twitter: @JoeFerguson