Testing the Addition of Immunotherapy Before Surgery for Patients With Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma

Inclusion Criteria: * Sarcomatoid or sarcomatoid-dominant (\> 50%) biphasic, pleural mesothelioma * Stage: I-IIIA disease per Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours 8th edition * Measurable disease or non-measurable disease as defined * No prior treatment which would be considered treatment for the primary neoplasm or impact the primary endpoint * No treatment with hormones or other chemotherapeutic agents except for hormones administered for non-disease-related conditions (e.g., insulin for diabetes and or hormonal therapy for breast, prostate cancer etc.) * Not pregnant and not nursing, because this study involves an investigational agent whose genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown \* Therefore, for women of childbearing potential only, a negative pregnancy test done =\< 14 days prior to registration is required * Age \>= 18 years * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 or Karnofsky \>= 60% * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,000/mm\^3 * Leukocytes \>= 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3 * Creatinine =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) OR creatinine clearance \>= 40 mL/min * Total bilirubin =\<1.5 x ULN, except patients with Gilbert Syndrome who can have total bilirubin \< 3.0 mg/dl * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =\< 3.0 x ULN * Alkaline (alk) phosphatase (phos) =\< 3.0 x ULN * No activ…