Press Coverage February 24, 2026

What Builders Need to Know About E-Verify in 2026

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Yane Park McKenzie

Yane McKenzie, an associate in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Labor + Employment Practice Group, was quoted in the February 24, 2026 Construction Dive article, “What Builders Need to Know About E-Verify in 2026” and the February 25, 2026 Construction Owners article, “Ohio Expands E-Verify Rules for Builders,”

  • When Ohio’s law goes on the books, 25 states will have enacted some kind of E-Verify rule, said Yane Park McKenzie, an associate in the Atlanta office of law firm Troutman Pepper Locke. However, many of them bear subtle differences that require business owners to pay close attention — while a company may not have to enroll in E-Verify in one state, it may need to in another.
  • …
  • McKenzie says she’s advised large contractor clients on using E-Verify nationally or going state-by-state.
  • …
  • Builders should be aware that the Trump Administration’s immigration focus won’t wane, McKenzie added.
  • “The reality is that this administration is really coming down hard, and I think that for the remaining three years, they’re really going to go after employers for worksite compliance,” McKenzie said.
  • …
  • “I think that can lead to lower levels of compliance, or inconsistencies in documentation, things like that,” McKenzie said.
  • …
  • Though the Ohio law, as written, should protect contractors from liability for their subcontractors, McKenzie suggested a similar flow-down provision for a subcontractor’s E-Verify compliance. On that note, she cautioned that a builder should not be reviewing a subcontractor’s I-9 forms because of potential privacy concerns. A contractor, McKenzie said, is responsible for I-9 compliance in its own business.
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