New Yorkers are pitching in to help out those who want to become American citizens. 

Over the weekend, CUNY’s Citizenship Now held its annual Citizenship Day application fair at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice. The event was an extension of Citizenship Now's immigration legal services, offering free assistance for people applying for naturalization. Hundreds of applicants and volunteers turned out, covering everything from application reviews to fee waivers.

Citizenship Now director Allan Wernick says the 21-year-old organization has seen a boost in public engagement in the last two years, especially due to the anti-immigrant rhetoric in today's political climate.

"This is a right that people have. They have met all their obligations," Wernick said at the event. "They have a right to become a police officer or a firefighter. They have a right to vote and they have the right to run for elected office."

Wernick says the organization has received lots of pro-bono support from both working and retired legal professionals in recent years. But he says there are many ways to advocate for folks who are working towards citizenship. Volunteers at Citizenship Now and other advocacy organizations are often needed to run events, offer translation services, and help with outreach. Donations are also welcome, whether it's to help fund immigration legal services or cover citizenship application fees for people who don't qualify for a fee waiver.

Among other requirements, it costs $725 to apply to become a citizen. Permanent residents can begin the application process by mailing in the fee with a 20 page-long application. If approved, applicants have an interview with a Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and take two exams: one on U.S. civics, and one testing English language proficiency.

While individual timelines vary, Warnick estimates it takes at least nine months to a year to process the application. But various things can affect an application: a person's age, length of time in the country, employment, marital status to a U.S. citizen, and any disabilities can all factor in. If an applicant has a criminal record, Warnick suggests consulting a lawyer about it, since some offenses can put someone at risk for deportation. He says the Trump administration has been especially vigilant about flagging people via citizenship applications.

About 850 people set up appointments to fill out their applications at Citizenship Day ahead of the event. 

Nineteen year-old Eslibel Garcia was there to get her paperwork in order. Garcia was born in the Dominican Republic, but moved to New York City as a young child.

"I already know English, and I took history classes in middle school and high school," she said. "I've been a resident for my whole life."

Garcia says the 2016 election motivated her and other young people she knows who are also permanent residents to look into applying for citizenship. She's looking forward to voting come 2020.

The sentiment was echoed among Citizenship Day attendees. Trevor Ross, from Trinidad and Tobago, moved to New York in the last few years, but he’s lived in the U-S since 2004. He wants to become a citizen to take part in the country's democratic process, from jury duty to voting.

He says immigrants living in the United States should have a voice in the nation's future.

"My freedom is very important to me," Ross said. 

"When you don't vote, your freedom gets taken away from you," he added. "It erodes like a beach."