An Illinois sixth-grade student who has special needs and an individualized education program was found wandering miles away from his school after a student-led walkout protesting United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ongoing immigration operations.
The child, who has publicly identified himself as Richard Harley, said the incident happened this past Tuesday. Harley explained that Dundee Middle School students were supposed to stay on a predesignated path through Main Street and Route 72 in Dundee, Ill.
“But they did the exact opposite and went much farther, and no one even knew how far they were going,” Harley told ABC7 Chicago. “I was like the last one; so … I was all alone.”
Only 11 years old, Harley said he is afraid to return to school and doesn’t feel safe.
An 11-year-old called his mom from the side of a busy highway, alone and terrified: “I’m very scared… come pick me up.”
His school didn’t even notice he was gone.
While Dundee Middle School was consumed by an ICE walkout, Harley — an 11-year-old with a federally protected… pic.twitter.com/aZdFhIbi8m
— Jake (@JakeCan72) February 20, 2026
Harley’s mother, Alexa Blasdell, said she is strongly considering finding another school or homeschooling him. She also revealed that she is considering legal action against the school district.
Blasdell said she called the police immediately after her son contacted her, though she found him roughly 10 minutes later.
“It’s not right because my kid is supposed to be safe in school,” Blasdell said. “And if they can’t keep my kid safe, then they need to take accountability for that.”
Although District 300 Superintendent Martina Smith issued a statement to ABC7 Chicago, it focused more on how families were notified of the impending protest five days before the walkout.
“On the day of the event, school leadership explicitly urged students to remain on campus,” Smith said. “This included providing an established supervised safety zone around the building to ensure that all students, including those with individualized education plans (IEPs), could participate in a secure and accessible environment.”
If you need a signed note for a dentist appointment, you need one for a protest.
No parental consent, no walkout. https://t.co/OzASHKVcdR
— Jen (@IlliniJen) February 20, 2026
The problem, as Blasdell explained, is that her son followed the other students without understanding why they were protesting or where they were going.
The situation also raises significant questions about why a school would encourage and allow middle school students to hold a student-led walkout. Common sense would dictate that a school — especially a middle school — would strongly consider the possibility of students ignoring the predetermined path and taking matters into their own hands. Woodbridge High School, roughly 23 miles south of Washington, D.C., recently suspended over 300 students who left campus during an anti-ICE protest. Some of those students reportedly went home or walked more than two miles to a nearby shopping center.
None of that is to say that every student who participates in an anti-ICE protest is going to go home or grab a slice of pizza. However, all bets are off the second students leave campus, whether they’re in kindergarten or 12th grade.
It is unclear whether any Dundee Middle School administrators have faced disciplinary action following the Harley incident.
