CBP has been infamous for asserting that the Constitution doesn't apply at all in these border areas. I wouldn't put it past the government to harass this person further, so I don't blame the person for not wanting their name in the public sphere (even still, they might harass him, I'm sure there are enough details in the story for them to identify him).
Which is funny since they only exist because of the Constitution. So where does it says it doesn't apply to them?
The US government has basically turned the Constitution into toilet paper, only useful when they want to pay lip service to the inherent rights of the people. Any other time, they prefer to wipe their ass with it.
You don't know whether it's "not just fiction" nor would you if they published this citizens name. What you do know is that the author, the publication, and its editor are all willing to put their professional reputation on the line to guarantee the correctness of their reporting.
That's kind of how journalism works.
Why would they name and quote several lawyers then?
When in doubt assume honesty. The US has had a rash of accusations of "Fake News" recently and we all need to work together to actively reject that narrative before we're all asking each other "what the definition of is is".