Did he mean actual 'coyotes'? Trump appears to mix up migrant smugglers with canines as social media mocks President with Wile E. Coyote memes

Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a central theme of his presidency, though he raised eyebrows on Thursday by apparently believing that actual 'coyotes' were invading the country from Mexico.

'A nation without borders is a nation not at all,' Trump said in his remarks from Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

'Without borders, we have the reign of chaos, crime, cartels and believe it or not, coyotes.'

The President added that he refused to give in to 'the whims of criminal organizations.' 

Coyotes, of course, are a species of canine native to North America. 

In the context of migrants crossing the border illegally, the term 'coyotes' means a group of people who are paid money to help smuggle migrants into the United States.

Migrants pay a fee to coyotes who in return guide them across the border.

Once the migrant arrives to a pre-determined destination, usually a town along the border in California, Texas, or Arizona, they pay a fee to the coyote.

The increased surveillance and security along the southern border has led to an increase in the usage of coyotes, according to a study by the RAND Corportation.

Coyotes, which is used both in English and Spanish, could receive as much as $15,000 per person to smuggle migrants into the U.S., according to The New York Times. 

These 'coyotes' are apparently not what Trump had in mind when he used the term on Thursday.

This led to a number of hilarious reactions on social media, with Twitter users posting memes of Wile E. Coyote fleeing the Road Runner.

'Your daily reminder that President Trump thinks literal coyotes have taken over our border with Mexico,' tweeted Patrick Chovanec.  

The tweet includes an attached GIF showing Wile E. Coyote.

'Coyotes are coming across the border!!! Trump seriously thinks his speech writer means [actual coyotes],' tweeted Austin Barker. 

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing Connecticut, wrote: 'So you get that he thinks these are real coyotes, right?' 

The federal government partially shut down as of Saturday after the President refused to authorize continued funding that did not include $5billion for a border wall. 

Trump said on Twitter on Saturday that he was continuing to negotiate with Democrats to end the U.S. government shutdown, but added that 'it could be a long stay.'

The Senate ended a short legislative day on Saturday and will hold its next legislative session on Thursday, as negotiators continued to search for a way to end the partial government shutdown that began just after midnight.

'Your daily reminder that President Trump thinks literal coyotes have taken over our border with Mexico,' tweeted Patrick Chovanec. The tweet includes an attached GIF showing Wile E. Coyote

'Coyotes are coming across the border!!! Trump seriously thinks his speech writer means [actual coyotes],' tweeted Austin Barker

Ben Towle tweeted about the 'methods' used by coyotes to cross the border. 'Check this guy for example,' he wrote in a caption above an image of Wile E. Coyote using an improvised engine

Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat representing Connecticut, wrote: 'So you get that he thinks these are real coyotes, right?'

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate would meet in a 'pro forma' session on Monday.

Those sessions can last for just minutes before adjourning.

As McConnell was closing the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters that negotiators were 'still talking.'

The House of Representatives passed a bill that included $5 billion Trump had demanded for a wall, but the Senate included considerably less money for border security.

The partial shutdown will affect about 15 percent of the federal workforce, a senior administration official said on Saturday, as a majority of agencies and departments, including the Department of Defense and the Postal Service, already have secured funding.

Still, some 800,000 employees from the Departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and others will be affected.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees, 420,000 people who have been deemed 'essential' must work without pay, while 380,000 others will not be able to report for work at all.

Trump administration officials say anyone working without pay will receive back pay once a deal is reached.