Do you know that the German tribes conquered Rome through rampant illegal immigration as refugees from the Huns? The Roman Empire let them in, abused and enslaved them, and used some tribes as mercenaries in the the Roman Army. Eventually the Germans took over and dismembered the empire. The Germans were the Mexicans of that time.
Yes...the Romans were forced to extend “the franchise” to non-Romans due to the civil warfare between the Italian non-Romans on the Italian peninsula and the Romans who had “the franchise” and privileges of being Roman. And then the floodgates were opened for the extension of the franchise to the various Germanic tribes in an effort to keep Rome alive...much as some want to do today by extending the American franchise to non-citizens who serve in the military as those mercenaries in the days of Rome did.
I am currently listening to an excellent book written by Taylor Caldwell (who wrote one of my favorite books I first read at the age of eight or nine...”Dear and Glorious Physician” about the Apostle Luke) called “Pillar of Iron” about Marcus Tullius Cicero.
I am enjoying it immensely, and although it is a novel of historical fiction (set in the framework of the actual history of the time) it was apparently a well researched novel, and the author knew of what she spoke. (I am a fan of historical fiction if done well, and always careful to keep in mind it is...in the end...fiction!)