Governor Tim Pawlenty is asking officials in the state's two largest cities to allow police officers to check people's immigration status. Pawlenty sent a letter to the Minneapolis and St. Paul city councils requesting that they change city ordinances that prohibit police officers from checking the papers of people who are not suspected of illegal activity. The governor cited a case in North Carolina where police officers detained an immigrant after they saw him videotaping financial institutions. Minneapolis City Council president Paul Ostrow says giving police officers the powers of federal agents could have a chilling effect on police-community relations.