Immigration reform activists are still holding protests and campaigning for change, but the U.S. government is so preoccupied with Syria that Congress is expected to postpone any legal reforms to the end of 2013.

Activists sent a petition complete with 600,000 signatures to Speaker John Boehner in hopes that it would push the government to take action sooner rather than later. This was not just a simple electronic petition but rather a petition with 600,000 physical signatures on actual paper. Protests will be heating up again in the first week of October as organizers have set up rallies in at least 40 cities. Immigration activists will also be marching in Washington on Oct. 8.

The sudden talks of deeper American involvement in Syria came at a time when immigration activists were just putting the finishing touches on a big push for change.

Some activists told the New York Times the government's delay is making everyone impatient as they had hoped to see a change at this point.

"I have put as much effort in as I can and even more," Jose Cabrera, an 18-year-old high school student, said to the Times. "If they just keep pushing it back and back, a lot of activists will be very frustrated."

"We're gearing up for late October - we're going to push really hard for votes this fall and negotiations with the Senate," Frank Sharry also said to the New York Times. Sharry serves as the executive director of America's Vote.

On the other hand, some Republicans have been vociferous in their opposition to immigration reform. Most recently it was Bob Goodlatte, head of the House Judiciary Committee, who said he would be against policies allowing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

President Obama spoke earlier in the year about the need for faster change in immigration reform as he referenced to the path to citizenship, but the president has been busy trying to convince Americans to support his plan to intervene in the Syrian civil war. Obama has lost support in recent weeks as he continues to push for military action in Syria when a large percentage of Americans remain against it.