MIAMI -- A Republican congressman from Colorado drew the ire of many Miami residents during a recent visit to The Breakers in Palm Beach, where he called the city about 90 miles to the south "a third-world country."

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., author of a book about the illegal immigration issue in the U.S., used Miami as an example of how "the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration," according to a story posted on WorldNetDaily.com.

''Look what has happened to Miami,'' the WorldNetDaily quoted Tancredo as saying in an interview. "It has become a third-world country. You just pick it up and move it someplace. You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a third-world country.''

The remarks prompted Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., to invite Tancredo to visit her hometown, saying, "Come on down, Tom, the water's fine," The Miami Herald reported.

Ros-Lehtinen said Miami is a "world-class city where diversity is celebrated. Here people have the opportunity to meet folks from across the globe and honor different cultures. Miami-Dade County is home to many outstanding universities, is headquarters to international businesses and has a vibrant economy.''

Tancredo, chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, warned in his book, "In Mortal Danger: The Battle for America's Border and Security," that the country is on a course to the dustbin of history. Like the great and mighty empires of the past, he wrote, superpowers that once stretched from horizon to horizon, America is heading down the road to ruin.