I did not mean for my reply to upset anyone...was just commenting based on my and my spouse's own personal experiences having gone through California and Arizona CBP checkpoints multiple times. Your mileage may vary. A US citizen is not required to carry his or her passport with them when they are in the US. heck, many US citizens do not have passports because they have not travelled internationally.

I am sorry that you had a bad experience. I imagine that it must have been quite upsetting and I hope you have a nice time in New Mexico.