Unidos Minnesota's Luis Argueta Jr. on Resisting ICE and Operation Metro Surge

When Luis Argueta Jr. was a teenager in 2004, ICE agents stormed into his St. Paul home in the middle of the night. Today, he’s working with Unidos MN to train tens of thousands of Minnesotans on their rights and what to do if they find themselves in that situation. As the organization’s communications director through Operation Metro Surge, he told the stories of how ordinary people stood up for their neighbors and fought back against a fascist occupation of their city. He continues to tell those stories today the media attention has faded but neighborhoods continue to experience abductions. I met Luis in January 2026 at the height of the federal occupation—between the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—when I traveled to Minneapolis to support the work of Unidos MN. We spoke about May Day, the lessons learned from Operation Metro Surge, being a good neighbor, Minnesota’s history of resistance, and the immigrant food scene in the Twin Cities.

Host/Producer/Editor: Reed Dunlea

Executive Producer: Ash Tyner

Music: Jesse Crawford Martinez

Logo: Theresa Escobedo