diSrupting the SYSteM: rewriting iMMigratiOn law thrOugh dei
Diversity Committee Co-Chairs: TimMartin – MartinLawOffice, P. A. & KatariBuck – AsiaticoLawLLC
In a legal system slow to evolve, Attorney Dionnie S. Wynter Pfunde is a bold, disruptive force. Known as the“ Immigration Boss” and founder of W. E. Inc., she has turned immigration law into a platform for equity, access, and empowerment. Through her Florida-based Wynter Law Practice, the Wynter Immigration Law Academy, and a growing network of Immigration Annexes, Pfunde integrates immigration advocacy with the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion( DEI).
Her journey began in the Bronx, not the courtroom, helping fellow immigrants complete paperwork. That grassroots experience shaped her mission to serve those often
excluded— Black and Brown immigrants, LGBTQ + asylum seekers, and low-income clients from the Global South. For Pfunde, immigration law is both personal and principled, grounded in lived experience and a commitment to justice.
DEI as a Blueprint for Justice
“ We do law differently,” Pfunde says.“ DEI isn’ t an afterthought— it’ s the blueprint.” Her firm handles humanitarian relief, family petitions, employment visas, and deportation defense, always through a DEI lens. She believes immigration law exposes America’ s deepest struggles with race, power, and belonging—
Dionnie S. Wynter Pfunde
“ we do law differently,” pfunde says.“ dei isn’ t an afterthought— it’ s the blueprint.”
and insists that those inequities must be addressed head-on.
Confronting Systemic Bias
Pfunde points to glaring disparities: applicants from Haiti or Nigeria often face greater scrutiny and higher denial rates, while Europeans are processed faster and more favorably.“ That’ s not just bias— that’ s systemic inequity,” she says. Subtle discrimination, like dismissing trauma responses or language barriers, can be just as harmful.“ Bias doesn’ t have to be loud to be deadly.”
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