NEBRASKA — Dan Osborn, an independent candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party in Nebraska's 2024 U.S. Senate race, made statements during the 2021 Kellogg's strike alleging the company replaced workers with undocumented immigrants. Osborn also said that complaints had been filed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In a December 2021 podcast interview, Osborn, who served as president of a local bakery, confectionery, tobacco workers, and grain millers union during the strike in Omaha, accused Kellogg's of hiring undocumented immigrants as replacement workers. "Kellogg's is hiring replacement workers, and we have reliable information that we are being substituted with a good percentage of undocumented workers." Osborn said. He added that the union had contacted federal authorities regarding the matter. "We have contacted the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. We have filed our complaints. I hope they do the right thing and investigate our complaints." He said.

Osborn's current campaign has since clarified that he did not personally contact ICE or the Department of Homeland Security during the 2021 strike. The campaign stated that Osborn called the local sheriff's department to inquire about reporting such allegations and then shared that information with his team. Others subsequently contacted federal authorities individually. An ICE representative declined to confirm whether the agency received reports concerning the Kellogg's strike, citing a policy of not identifying those who provide tips.

Approximately 1,400 Kellogg's employees across four U.S. plants, including Omaha, went on strike in 2021 over issues concerning wages, benefits, and a two-tier employment system. Public records and strike coverage from 2021 did not identify any replacement workers hired by Kellogg's as undocumented. The strike concluded on December 21, 2021, after 77 days, when workers ratified a contract that included wage increases and opened existing positions to new hires.

Osborn has also spoken about the broader economic impact of immigration policies during his campaign. He supports a path to citizenship for long-term undocumented residents and allowing them to obtain Social Security cards as part of legal residency processes.

No independent assessment of Dan Osborn’s claims was available.