(upbeat music) - Scared to shop, how the latest immigration crackdown is turning a once bustling Long Island village into a ghost town.

Plus tariffs and you, how the president's back and forth is keeping Long Island companies on edge.

And let's go with Carissa to one of the hottest spring break getaway spots.

It's your business, Long Island.

I'm Newsday TV's Macy Egland.

We begin with some Newsday business headlines.

The old Bordy Barn is closer to becoming a new hotel.

A new law in Southampton Town now allows hotels to go up along certain stretches of Montauk and Sunrise Highway.

The Bordy Barn was a Hampton Bay's party spot for decades until it closed in 2021.

The head of the region's most prominent business group, the Long Island Association, is stepping down.

Matt Cohen, president and chief executive of the LIA, told Newsday, quote, "I'm looking for a new challenge and to still make an impact on Long Island."

His contract expires in June.

State Farm might be paying you this summer.

The auto insurer is giving back $5 billion to qualifying drivers across the country.

Here in New York, those one-time payments average around $81.

State Farm has the cash because of fewer payouts from accidents last year.

Ross Dress for Less has doubled its number of Long Island stores to four.

The national off-price retailer opened locations in Lake Grove and Riverhead last month.

And a great price, but this tiny Selden house up for sale for $329,000 has zero bedrooms.

The 440-foot square house there has an annual property taxes of $3,747.

Ice raids are crushing businesses in one local community.

Newsday TV's Andrew Anger takes us to Hempstead Village, where some say it looks like a ghost town.

For Christian Sarambia, opening up his first shoe store in Hempstead several years ago as a naturalized U.S.

citizen was a dream come true.

Soon after, he opened a furniture store next door, both catering to immigrants in the community.

Business was brisk until... [speaking Spanish] ICE increased operations in the community, even right outside his front door.

Now he says sales are down 90% because most of his customers, undocumented and documented immigrants, are scared to go shopping.

(speaking in foreign language) - Guillermo Garcia is one of the owners of La Sevillana Bakery.

It's popular with Hispanic Long Islanders for sweet treats from their native countries.

Here too, business is way down, so he slashed his staff's hours.

- We didn't wanna do that to our employees, but we had no choice.

- But the chilling effect that ICE activity is having here in Hempstead isn't just hurting small businesses, it's also affecting more well-established businesses here in the community.

- They don't wanna come and shop.

- Key Foods has been a landmark in Hempstead for more than three decades.

Owner Francisco Batista says ICE arrests in the parking lot has kept many of his customers away.

Business, he says, is down 50%.

He's offered delivery to help frightened customers stay home, but there are a few takers.

a quarter of his employees.

Now I don't know.

I don't know what's going to happen.

Of course I'm concerned.

Hempstead Village Mayor Waylon Hobbs says federal immigration agents have worked in the community without issues for years.

But he says the recent ramp up of ICE detentions has been devastating on the Latino community emotionally and financially.

He says ICE is not working with village police on immigration enforcement, adding federal agents have been barred from using any village property.

He believes Hempstead's economy will recover.

We're going to come together as a community.

We're going to support one another and we'll weather this.

While stickers and signs on businesses try to reassure residents and shoppers, real estate agent Nelson Hernandez worries for the future.

If they continue doing what they've been doing, these communities are going to be affected drastically.

They're going to become a ghost community.

Back at the shoe store, Christian Sarabia is holding out hope for his business and his American dream.

(speaking in foreign language) - In Hempstead, Andrew Enger, Newsday TV.

- I'm Doug Gied, I'm joined by Newsday reporter, Bart Jones, who also covered this story and you spoke to a lot of people in that community there.

A heartbreaking story, really, very fascinating too.

How did it all evolve?

- Yeah, Doug, well, I mean, the story occurred because I was in Hempstead one day for another story and I was walking down the streets and I didn't see anybody almost.

It was felt almost like a ghost town and I've been in Hempstead many times, so I kind of wondered, "What's going on here?

There must be some story.

Why are there no people on the street?"

And obviously, given all the ICE raids, that was a suspicion that people were not coming out.

So what is the mood?

I mean, we captured the feeling from the story, but what is the mood of the community?

The mood is really despair, fear.

A lot of them are just afraid they're going to have to shut down.

They've had tremendous cutbacks.

The shoe store owner's business is down 90% in the last few months.

And there's frustration.

They don't know what to do about it.

A lot of them have worked very hard.

For instance, this shoe store owner started selling shoes out of his car a decade ago.

And this guy built it up, and he ended up renting a store out, and then he even expanded into an adjacent store.

Started selling furniture.

So, this is his life's work, and he's kind of watching it all collapse in front of his own eyes right now.

Hempstead has a real roller coaster history.

Way back in the day, very vibrant community.

It's had its ups and downs.

You know, where are we now in that roller coaster?

Right, and that's why a lot of the advocates and immigrants are concerned, because Hempstead is a little bit of a special place in that sense.

Back in the '60s and '70s, Hempstead was really having a rough time.

The economy kind of collapsed when the malls opened, and they supplanted a lot of these mom-and-pop stores.

So Hempstead went into a real downspin.

It was actually resuscitated by immigrants.

A lot of immigrants from El Salvador in the beginning, in the 1980s, started coming in.

who were fleeing this brutal civil war in their country.

They started populating Hempstead.

And then after that, you saw many other countries coming in.

Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala.

So the immigrants really resuscitated Hempstead.

They all feel like that is now in danger of being destroyed.

- And Latinos make up a sizable percent now, right, of Hempstead?

- Yeah, they're about half the population according to the census figures.

- Wow.

So is there any help out there being offered by anybody?

It's tough because this is the federal government coming in and doing this operation.

You can't exactly stop them.

There are some small steps being taken.

The mayor of Hempstead is actually prohibiting ICE from using village property to park and stage their raids.

I like to leave things on a hopeful note.

Is there any glimmer of hope for these folks?

Well, the mayor of the Hempstead Village is hopeful.

He believes this is going to pass someday, eventually.

So he thinks Hempstead can bounce back to what it was before the ICE raids began.

Some of the business owners, though, are a little less hopeful.

The shoe store owner, for instance, said that he's going to give it maybe a few more months and then he just can't sustain it anymore.

They all have bills to pay.

They have bills to pay.

So there's a little glimmer of hope, but it's pretty despondent right now.

All right.

Important to put the spotlight on this story, though.

Thank you, Bart.

Thank you, Doug.

Last year, President Trump imposed far-reaching global tariffs on most imported goods.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court struck them down.

In a 6-3 ruling, the high court found tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law were unconstitutional.

Hours later, Trump responded by setting a 10% tax on all imports.

He posted this on his Truth Social account.

It reads in part, quote, "It is my great honor to have just signed from the Oval Office a global 10% tariff on all countries, which will be effective almost immediately."

Now the Supreme Court ruling and Trump's response is creating uncertainty for Long Island businesses and consumers.

Here with me now is Newsday's business reporter James Timidor and Tom Cook, managing director of Blue Tiger International Trade Consultants.

They're here to help us make some sense of all of this and break down how it affects Long Island.

So James, we want to start with you.

What are you hearing from local business owners about all of this?

So not surprisingly, there's a mixed reaction.

Some people I spoke with are elated that the Supreme Court made this decision.

Many people are confused, saying, "Well, what's next?"

Obviously, President Trump has levied new tariffs, and we're expecting to see an increase from 10% to 15%.

So there's a lot of uncertainty about how to plan, how to move forward.

One company I spoke with, Bedgear, which is based in Farmingdale and sells mattresses, sheets, pillows, they were anticipating this.

And they have shifted a lot of their manufacturing from China, where they get raw materials, to other countries that are more "Trump friendly."

They also immediately filed a claim for millions of dollars in refunds.

But the CEO of Bed Gear, Eugene Aletto, said to me, "The fact is, President Trump is committed to tariffs.

So I, as a business owner, have to realize that and adapt to the new regime."

All right, local business owners kind of need to stay on their toes at this point, as this all kind of unravels.

Tom, the Supreme Court ruling seems like it's good news for businesses and consumers, right?

But it sounds like the savings won't come overnight.

Explain that for us.

unprecedented set of circumstances that has occurred right now.

You're asking the government to give over $200 billion back when there's no system to set up to actually make that happen.

Right?

So all importers that are looking for refunds and they have to file for those refunds appreciate the fact that they're going to be audited by customs on every one of those individual transactions.

So if there's any problem with the valuation they use, with the harmonized tariff number that they use, or the origin of those goods, they run a higher risk that they're going to be more of a problem than the benefit of getting back some of their money.

So this is a big issue that companies have to act with due diligence, reasonable care, and supervision and control over that import documentation.

And one of the comments that we're making to our clients and the business world that we work in is to make sure that your files and the documentation to support those claims are in good order.

Every transaction needs to be ordered because the process is going to require transaction by transaction, of which that process has not been set up, mainly because customs is looking at this as something that they thought they had going to have time to put up a process.

So, James, let's dig into this a little bit more.

Can companies eventually get these refunds on the tariffs that they've already paid, and how might they go about that?

I know Tom just spoke about that briefly, but is this a possibility?

It is a possibility, but it's uncharted territory.

We have never been in a situation where the United States government has to pay $200 billion back to first the people that paid the tariffs, which are businesses, and then one of the biggest questions is, what happens to the consumer?

The consumer ultimately, in many cases, paid a portion or all of these tariffs.

In New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul has estimated that every New Yorker is owed back $1,750.

One thing we know for certain, the Trump administration has made it clear they are going to challenge not only the decision that was made recently by the Court of International Trade, which is based in lower Manhattan, but they are going to pursue every legal avenue possible to avoid having to repay the tariffs.

And part of the reason for this is because it will increase the federal deficit.

So it's a long process.

Many of the people I've spoken to said this could take months or years before you ever see anything back.

All right.

So President Trump announces this new 10% tariff, right?

What comes next now, Tom?

And I know you mentioned before companies can keep records and things like that, but what can they do as they navigate all of this?

You have to appreciate that what President Trump is actually trying to do is he's altering how international trade as it relates to goods being bought by Americans and sold by Americans.

He's changing how trade is being handled all over the world.

And that's a positive thing.

His process leads a lot of doubt and uncertainty and chaos, but the goals are meritorious.

He's going to continue to negotiate with every nation around the world until he gets total reciprocity, meaning that their tariffs on U.S.

goods going into those countries are equivalent to the ones that we charge them here.

The best example is that if BMW in Germany manufactured a car in Germany and they now brought it to the United States, when it crosses the border, they pay a 2.5% duty rate.

If General Motors wanted to sell a Camaro into Germany, they'd pay a 17.5% duty rate.

That's the inequity that exists all over the world, that kind of ratio.

So Trump is working very hard and he's using the hammer of tariffs to change how the world is working.

47 countries already have new trade agreements with the United States favorably.

There's another 55, 60 countries that are lined up, ready to negotiate.

So eventually this will eventually all settle down.

But I asked an undersecretary of commerce secretary, and he said to me that as long as Trump is president, this disruption will continue because he will continue to use tariffs as a means to negotiate international trade.

So changes to come.

A lot of developments still.

So we'll be following this story and of course, bring you any updates as we get them.

My thanks again to James Timidor and Tom Cook for being with us.

You can read more about the terror fight and its impact here on Long Island on our website, Newsday.com.

Home prices continue to rise on Long Island.

Newsday real estate reporter Jonathan LaMantia explains why and what house hunters can expect this spring.

Long Island home prices kept rising in February compared to last year, but there was a bit of a moderation in terms of how fast they're rising.

The median home price in Nassau County was $850,000 in February.

In Suffolk County, the median price was $685,000.

That was up 0.7%.

So we're finally seeing some moderation in home prices.

The spring market on Long Island is a really important one for real estate agents, and they're hoping that sellers are finally going to come off the sidelines.

They're hoping that after a winter in which there were very few listings, that we'll finally see some more, which will help increase the pace of sales.

Sellers do face a bit of a situation where they want to list their homes, but they might be stuck by both the lower mortgage rates they have than prevailing rates that are on the market and also the lack of availability of homes.

So if they do want to sell, they have to get into something to buy first.

And that fear of not being able to find something to buy is what's really driving some of this slow arrival of listings this spring, one agent told me.

For Newsday TV, I'm Jonathan Lamantia.

- A growing number of Long Islanders are falling victim to home improvement scams.

Newsday TV's Virginia Huey tells us what to look out for.

- This you can see, (bangs) everything bangs.

It's not attached.

- Tina Leggio's home improvement nightmare began in 2023 when she looked on social media for a contractor to fix the roof of her Bayshore home.

- I looked on Facebook, the Bayshore mom and dad's page, you know, look for referrals and that's how I found Felix.

- Leggio says Felix Garcia offered what seemed like a great deal to fix her roof and replace her kitchen.

But Leggio says she got more than she bargained for.

The $5,000 original quote with everything else that I was letting you know about grew and grew and I need more money for this, I need more money for that, do this, do that.

Later on $35,000 cash and $10,000 off my credit card came out from a $5,000 quote.

From March to December 2023, Leggio says Garcia would consistently offer to make repairs to other parts of her house, never finishing one project before starting another.

This sink here.

This was put on wrong.

Now she's $46,000 in the hole and left with broken doors, poorly installed cabinets and holes in her bathroom ceiling.

I went to the.

Department of Consumer Affairs.

And that's when I found out he wasn't licensed.

Leggio's story is a cautionary tale about the prevalence of home improvement scams, especially now as the weather gets warmer and people are looking to spruce up their homes.

In 2024, national data shows that over $274 million were lost to home improvement fraud, whether it be installation of roofs or repair of other household areas.

The interesting thing about the financial loss is that we see they've been on the rise since 2020.

Some red flags to watch out for.

Always have your guard up when it comes to unsolicited door-to-door contractors.

High pressure tactics are a common warning sign.

Verify a contractor's license and references before hiring.

Do not sign agreements without fully understanding them.

Avoid large upfront cash payments and be wary of requests for a payment in cryptocurrency.

"I never thought to check all that because you never think somebody's going to be that crooked."

Leggio took Garcia to court and won a $95,000 judgment.

"Good luck on collecting."

Leggio doesn't think she'll receive a penny of that money because she says Garcia has no assets.

For Newsday TV, I'm Virginia Huey.

Time now for a look at the jobs you do.

Newsday's Ken Bufa takes us behind the scenes at a father-daughter owned mechanic shop in this month's LI Works.

Grab your gloves, we're fixing cars.

It's time to pull through the bay doors and say hello to... Hi, my name is Mia Carrillo, I'm the general manager.

I've been doing this for 20 plus years.

I love helping people when they're struggling.

Carrillo says she's been fixing cars with her dad since she was a toddler and adds if you want to be a mechanic, the best way to get started is to pull yourself into a garage.

A lot of mechanics like myself and my father that owns the business here, we learn on the job, we sort of learn every day.

Even though you go to trade school for the entire four years, let's say, and you get a certification, you don't know everything until you're still working on cars.

And knowing everything she says is pretty much impossible, because cars are always changing.

Oh, yeah, 100%.

Like, so the biggest thing, mostly, is like there's a thing in the industry called like chasing ghost codes.

Now, despite the rags and the oil stains, Carrillo shares mechanics have to be organized, not only in their shop, but also in their minds.

The hardest part, I would say, is just keeping track of all the parts and like putting everything all together again.

It's very hard, especially for bigger jobs, to remember where everything goes.

Now to make sure Carillo knows where everything goes, we're going to play a little game called "Ask a Mechanic What That Is."

I'm going to point to something and she has to tell me what it is.

So, first up, what is that?

That is the brake fluid.

What is this?

That is the oil dipstick.

What is this?

That's where the oil goes into the engine.

I'm going to go on this side.

What is this?

That is going to be your coolant.

Okay, and this is an easy one.

And lastly, what is one thing that should never touch after driving?

This didn't have a cover, I would never touch the engine after you drive.

Another skill is being able to solve riddles.

Not so much on what's going on under the hood, but the riddles customers share when they arrive.

I would say 99 percent, because a customer will come in saying, "Oh, my car is rattling."

Obviously, they're not the mechanic, they don't know what it is.

You have to take it for a test drive, you gotta put it on the lift, check different things.

Rattling could be anywhere from your engine is two seconds from blowing up to, oh, you just need brakes, something's stuck in your wheel.

Now, if you're willing to learn, research, decipher, and maintain, being a mechanic, she says, is quite rewarding.

You wanna be up to speed, you wanna be friendly, because at the end of the day, you're treating what's basically their baby.

You're getting them from A to B to work, or maybe it's just bouncing around from friends and family.

It's a very important part of their life.

Ken Buffa, Newsday TV.

If you're looking to get away for spring break, let's go with Carissa Kellman from MacArthur Airport to Vero Beach, Florida.

Florida's Atlantic coast is packed with popular beach towns, but tucked along the Treasure Coast, has held on to its quiet charm.

For Long Islanders escaping the cold, this small coastal town is just a two-hour flight from MacArthur Airport.

Check into the Ocean Breeze Inn and your steps from more than 20 miles of white sand beaches and warm Atlantic water.

No car required.

"I could soak up the sun."

Along Ocean Drive, historic restaurants and breezy patios make it easy to settle into vacation mode with fresh seafood and ocean views.

One of Vero Beach's oldest attractions is McKee Botanical Garden.

"I really feel like I'm in a jungle right now."

A lush tropical oasis filled with towering palms, winding paths, sculptures, and wildlife.

"And I really want to see an otter.

I think I saw one before.

And I will be looking for them now."

Vero sits in a rare climate zone where temperate Carolina air meets Caribbean warmth, creating conditions for a unique blend of plants and animals to thrive.

This is definitely worlds away from the beach.

Back by the beach, casual spots like El Cid Taqueria keep things simple.

Street tacos, fresh citrus drinks, and plenty of sunshine.

You can't beat this view.

locals say the best of Vero is seen through its moss-draped live oaks and quiet neighborhoods.

Now this is the best way to see Vero Beach.

Via golf cart, of course.

And on the riverside, paddling through mangrove tunnels reveals calm waters where birds glide overhead and stingrays, dolphins, and manatees swim by.

On the dock, Riverside Cafe hums with music and the smell of more fresh seafood.

Country star Jake Owen's Go-To Mahi Sandwich is a menu highlight, and the Vero native is even known to show up for surprise concerts.

It's that casual, friendly atmosphere that's the real flavor of Vero Beach.

While Florida has no shortage of beach towns, Vero Beach leaves an impression for its people, with a beachy pace and sun-soaked charm.

Carissa Kellman, Newsday TV.

(upbeat music) - A volunteer at Stony Brook Medicine is helping patients with food insecurity.

Photojournalist Chris Ware continues Newsday's exclusive series, Volunteers of Long Island.

(upbeat music) - My name is Shaili Soni, and volunteering to me is about a service learning opportunity where I'm able to offer what I have learned through my experiences and be able to grow from and learn from the people and the communities that I am working with.

I volunteer with the Stony Brook Medicine Food Pharmacy Program, and it's important to me because through my experiences in health care, I've recognized that there are a lot of social factors outside of the hospital walls that influence how care is received within the hospital.

I will speak to patients who come into the hospital who demonstrate food insecurity, and after a conversation, I will offer two weeks worth of supplemental food that they can bring home with them after they leave the hospital.

And the other part of my time I spend gathering vegetables from the micro farm that Stony Brook Hospital has, then deliver these food to the hospital kitchen so that they can use it to make meals for the patients.

I know that the baby that I was able to offer, you know, supplemental nutrition to, or the elder individual who I'm giving this meal to is going to have this care and have the support that they didn't think they were going to receive.

And it didn't take too much of my time, but I know that I'm able to make an impact for that individual.

I find my role really special because I'm able to come in and tell them, "Hey, we wanna help you even after you leave."

And I'm able to introduce this idea of this food support, which they did not realize that they would be receiving when they came into the hospital.

And I think being able to acknowledge some of these factors is really valuable in making a difference for the patients.

That's your Business Long Island.

For the latest local business news and how it impacts you, go to Newsday.com.

I'm Macy Eglund.

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