Dumb question about US passport control

Whenever we asked where to go (you'll always find a few "roaming" officals you can ask--so no need to line up and ask an immigration official in a booth), we've been told that they want us to go through immigration together (at least in the US).  This is especially important when we are traveling together on holiday.  Makes life easier for everyone.  Imagine the discussion for our Thanksgiving visit if I had not been there with my husband:  US Immigration: Why are you here?  Husband: To visit my wife's family for thanksgiving.  Where is your wife?  Oh, she's gone through immigration over there already.  Right!  This way, we're both there, they get our one customs form (filled out for a family, as instructed) and everyone is happy. 

Note that we were NEVER told to go into separate lines.  The difference is always whether we are told to go TOGETHER in the US line or the visitors line.

I think they'd much rather you go through together, whatever queue. Pretty much all the windows have facilities to handle any circumstance, and certainly all the people are trained for any possibility.* Besides, our circumstances are quite easy for them...no-brainers...and I think they'd prefer we didn't clog up the more trickier queues.

(*only once were we in one queue and they asked us to move to the next one over, still in the "US citizen" queue area, because the prior window didn't have the right stamper...LOL...I think that was more a case of inventory shortage.)

In reading the signs for information about this and what is the proper thing to do...we're not always clear at first (in unfamiliar airports) because the signs are usually a bit vague, so we simply ask. And in every circumstance we are pointed to the "easy" lane. In other words, when we were arriving in the US, they had us go through together in the US citizen line, and when entering the UK (and EU countries), to go through the UK/EU citizen line.

Never given a hassle...the Americans usually tell me "Welcome home" and don't even bother asking my husband anything beyond "how long will you be here?" just as a matter of course.

Then again, coming the other way it's no longer a question since I now have a British passport.

We went through Philadelphia on Thursday and asked before we went through the line.  The lady told us to go through the US citizens' line together, so we did.     They had the camera and finerprinting device on all of the lines.