“We witnessed a raid in the spring, and we need to be better prepared for when it happens again,” Ms. Ladd said. “We’ve been building up a real core of many volunteers [who] go out and talk to the businesses,” Ms. Diamond said. “We feel like we’ve enhanced some of the work that was done before and made it Island-friendly and focused,” Ms. Ladd said. Ms. Diamond said that for some, being disconnected from the mainland can create a sense of security in times of national turmoil. For Ms. Ladd, MV4A’s work is not political; it’s a matter of upholding the constitutional rights that should be guaranteed to all on American soil.