Are your friends specifically visiting you? Is it worth writing an invitation letter or similar, which explains their trip?
Note: this might not be a good idea, I really have no idea. I'm suggesting this mainly since I've had to get similar letters to get Visas for certain countries when visiting friends there, but in that case the letter was for embassy personnel. CBP might not be fans.
Last edited by televisor; Apr 11, 2016 at 11:04 am