Long Island educators reassure students and parents that schools are safe for immigrants

Long Island consumers are more pessimistic about their immediate financial future than at any time in the past two years because of issues like the rising cost of food and housing, according to a new poll. The Siena Research Institute reported this week that its Index of Consumer Sentiment was 65.1 points in September in Nassau and Suffolk counties. That’s the lowest reading since June 2023’s 61.2 points and down from 70.1 in September 2024. James T. Madore reports in NEWSDAY that in the metropolitan area, which includes Long Island, the index was 72.6 points last month, compared with 78.1 a year earlier. Statewide, the trend was similar. Readings below the breakeven threshold of 76 points indicate the number of consumers who are worried about their financial outlook is larger than the number who are optimistic.

Worried consumers are more reluctant to open their wallets, which leads to less spending, said John A. Rizzo, an economist and Stony Brook University professor. He added that consumer spending accounts for about 70% of all economic activity.

Rizzo attributed the “sharp decline in consumer confidence” to rising prices, particularly for imported goods that are subject to U.S. tariffs, and uncertainty about the future of Obamacare.

“None of this bodes well for the holiday shopping season on Long Island,” he said.

In the Siena survey, the high cost of food and housing in Nassau and Suffolk was among the factors holding down the local consumer-sentiment index reading.

More than 7 in 10 Long Islanders said food prices and housing costs were having either a very serious or a somewhat serious impact on their finances in September.

Travis Brodbeck, associate director of data management at the institute, which is part of Siena University, said gasoline prices also “remain a serious strain on New Yorkers’ finances. Yet, residents are not signaling any major belt-tightening."

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Educators on Long Island have sought to reassure students and parents that schools are safe amid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Darwin Yanes reports in NEWSDAY that U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents were spotted carrying out enforcement activities near schools in Brentwood and Hempstead last month, and educators said some students have questioned whether they should attend classes. The Department of Homeland Security, which has said more than 2 million undocumented people have been removed or have self-deported from the country since January, issued a statement last month emphasizing the federal agency does not target schools. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not conducting enforcement operations at, or ‘raiding,’ schools," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not going to schools to make arrests of children." She noted, "Criminals are no longer able to hide in America’s schools to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense."

Echoing the sentiments of other Long Island school administrators, Brentwood Schools Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera said. "Our role is to provide reassurance, resources and consistent support…I want every parent to know that their child is safe, supported and loved in Brentwood. ... We need our students in school; they are the heart of our community and the reason we do this work…Together, we will continue to ensure that every child who walks through our doors feels welcomed, inspired and ready to succeed."

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Free Family Fun tomorrow in Bridgehampton.

It’s the 26th Annual Long Pond Greenbelt Celebration on Saturday, October 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vineyard Field, behind the South Fork Natural History Museum (SOFO). This free event features nature-themed activities like games and crafts, guided walks,...