"Last night, Dr. Guillermo Linares told me that he is going to stand for election in the City Council's tenth district, and he resigned - effective immediately - as the City's Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

"Even before he joined our Administration in July 2004, I counted Guillermo as an adviser, and I have since come to count him as a friend. As Commissioner, Guillermo spearheaded our efforts to ensure that government services are accessible and understandable to all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status or native language.

"Guillermo made history when he was elected to represent Upper Manhattan in 1991 in the City Council, becoming the first person born in the Dominican Republic elected to public office anywhere in the United States. But more importantly, he has helped us make a major difference in the lives of every immigrant community over the last five years. Guillermo has been an important part of our efforts to deliver better government services to the hard-working people from around the world who come to New York seeking greater opportunities for themselves and their families. We will miss his leadership, and I wish him all the best.

"Effective today, Deputy Commissioner Erik Paulino will oversee the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs."