Add to that the fact that the US government has shown a pattern of selling its own border patrol agents down the river as soon as Mexico gets in a snit (Ramos and Compean are the most offensive example) and it's no wonder you can barely recruit new agents. It is truly a thankless task......Our own govenment doesn't even value the agents.
By and large, people away from border states do not begin to grasp how dire our situation has become. DH and I come from families who came to Texas before the Revolution. Until 10 years ago, we never remotely imagined we would ever want to live (long-term) anywhere except Texas. Now, we are looking into other areas to retire and it is breaking our hearts. But we see where Texas is heading and we know it likely won't be fit to live in 20-30 years down the road.
How does this affect the rest of the US? Well, apart from all the Texans coming to YOUR states down the road......Think of all the resources Texas provides to the US economy. Imagine "Mexican level" corruption being in control of those resources in a few decades and the entire country will pay a heavy price. Again, once the rest of America wises up, it will be too late.
You can laugh at us all you want, saying we're wearing foil hats, etc. But the truth is, we're on the front lines and you aren't. By the time reality impacts you, you won't be laughing quite so hard.