Picking up friends from Rome in LAX

Yes coming in from Rome you go through Immigration and then customs in the USA.
I would have them just text you "we are getting off the plane now" as there is usually some kind of long line at immigration depending on how many other international flights arrive at the same time. And you should check to see if there flight left on time from Rome.

That is a 64 dollar that no one can answer other than It Depends. If it is a direct flight from Europe then they will do through both immigration and customs on arrival in LAX. If they made a connection in the US, then they just walk off. But as to time it will take is an impossible to know. Just use your cell phones to coordinate. Any answer is wild guess.

Last week we landed at LAX at 10:00am from Tokyo. From getting off the aircraft to walking out with our luggage it took 40 minutes total but we have Global Entry. Do your friends have it? It makes a big difference.

LAX or as I call it Hell on earth.

Do yourself and your friend a favor and use the cell phone waiting lot on W 96th.

Confirm your friends flight arrival time before you leave your house.

Have them text you when the land AND once they’ve gotten through immigration and are walking outside of their arrival terminal. Will take 10-15 minutes max to get to them provided there’s no road construction.

Or you could park by the In and Out Burger and have a bite while watching planes land as you are waiting for them to text.

Time through immigration is always a crap shoot and like the OP said hopefully they invested in Global Entry.

I once returned from Istanbul and on the landing card had written Turkey in the box that asked where I’d been. The immigration agent kept asking why I was trying to bring a Turkey into the country. I kid you not.