Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, 61, was arrested Friday morning following an investigation into his alleged misuse of more than $1.5 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), a program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the CARES Act to assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The arrest drew national attention after reporters pressed DePeña for comment and his lawyer responded, "He doesn't speak English, no comment."
DePeña was elected mayor of Lawrence in November 2021 and won re-election in November 2025. He previously served on the Lawrence City Council from 2016 to 2021. The city, located in northern Massachusetts, has a population of approximately 90,000 residents.
"Mayor DePeña was elected to be a leader for the City of Lawrence," said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. "He was looked up to and trusted by his constituents, but he betrayed that trust through his alleged corruption and lies. Today's arrest is just another example of our determination to root out fraud by anyone, even public officials, and hold elected officials accountable."
If convicted on all counts, DePeña faces up to 30 years in prison for wire fraud charges tied to the EIDL scheme.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive commentators and some local leaders have cautioned against conflating the criminal case with questions about language fluency. Immigration advocates note that Lawrence has historically been a city where Spanish is widely spoken, reflecting its large Dominican and Puerto Rican population. Some Democratic strategists argue that attacking DePeña's English proficiency misses the more significant story: an elected official allegedly stealing from pandemic relief programs meant for struggling small businesses.
Critics on the left have also pointed out that the viral clip shows DePeña saying "God bless you" to reporters, suggesting some level of communicative ability. Immigration rights organizations argue that multilingualism in public service is common across American cities with diverse populations and should not itself be a disqualifying factor. Some progressive commentators noted that the focus on language rather than accountability for fraud represents a distraction from substantive governance failures.
Representatives for local community organizations in Lawrence declined to comment publicly as of press time, though several Spanish-language media outlets reported on the arrest with emphasis on the alleged financial crimes rather than the language controversy.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators and Republican elected officials quickly seized on the exchange, arguing it illustrated broader concerns about assimilation and competency in public office. The clip, which showed DePeña smiling while his lawyer fielded questions, spread widely across social media platforms.
"English fluency should be a basic prerequisite for holding public office," posted journalist Miranda Devine on X. Conservative radio host Mike Gallagher wrote: "'He doesn't speak English, no comment' says the assistant of the mayor of an American city. Our melting pot has completely melted."
Texas Republican congressional candidate Jace Yarbrough posted: "This is what happens when we not only import the third world, but elect the third world. Why is an unassimilated foreigner a mayor in America?" The LibsofTikTok account, which describes itself as a conservative influencer platform, shared the clip with the caption "How is this real," a post that received over 1 million views.
Republican legislators have used the incident to renewed calls for English-only legislation at the state and federal levels. Several Republican governors issued statements calling for stricter verification of language competency requirements for elected officials.
What the Numbers Show
DePeña allegedly misused $1.5 million in EIDL funds, which were part of approximately $200 billion Congress allocated through the CARES Act in 2020 for pandemic relief to small businesses. The SBA's EIDL program was designed to provide working capital to help businesses survive COVID-19 shutdowns.
According to federal data, Lawrence has a poverty rate of approximately 21 percent and a median household income below the state average. About 75 percent of the city's population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, with Spanish being the dominant language in many households, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, though first-time offenders typically receive significantly shorter sentences under federal sentencing guidelines. The indictment remains unproven in court; DePeña has not entered a plea.
The Bottom Line
The arrest of Mayor DePeña represents one of several high-profile cases involving alleged misuse of COVID-era relief funds by public officials. Federal prosecutors have prioritized pursuing fraud related to pandemic programs, with the Justice Department reporting over $1 billion in recovered fraudulent funds since 2020.
The viral response to his lawyer's statement about English proficiency highlights ongoing political tensions around immigration, assimilation, and competency standards for elected office. DePeña remains in office pending legal proceedings; Massachusetts state law does not require a mayor to resign upon arrest.
What happens next: DePeña is expected to appear in federal court for an arraignment hearing within the coming weeks. His defense attorney, Carlos Apostle, has not publicly responded to requests for comment on the charges or the viral exchange.