> The point is that Americans are not legally required to produce identification within American border so long as they're not driving. They're required to honestly answer authorities when asked their name, but that's it.

By your own metric, he required ID, because he drove to the border patrol station.

To pick up a package from customs, not to travel through the border. He also might not have been driving the car, and there was not way for customs to know.

> To pick up a package from customs

Which he knew he needed his ID for, because he had done so many times before.

The point I am making is simply that it is not so surprising to me that when things go outside of the normal process, things may go sideways when dealing with potentially hostile government agents.

All Americans should be very sad that "potentially hostile government agents" is a reasonable assumption.

There were three people in the car. Only one needs a license.