Judge James Boasberg has stretched his stoppage of President Trump’s ability to deport Venezuelan gang suspects as alien enemies, ordering the administration not to try to oust anyone until at least April 12.

Mr. Trump has decried the judge’s blockade and asked the Supreme Court to step in and end it.

Hours after that request with the justices, Judge Boasberg announced he was doubling down on his March 15 temporary restraining order, which was about to expire. He said he was giving it another two weeks.

The case has turned into a major showdown of presidential power.

Mr. Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law, to get around the usual immigration law and speed deportations of hundreds of Venezuelans he says are part of Tren de Aragua, a notorious street gang with international reach.

The president has deemed TdA a terrorist organization involved in an invasion or incursion into the U.S. and thus subject to the law.

Lawyers for the TdA suspects rushed to court to try to block the removals, winning the restraining order from Judge Boasberg.

Three flights took off anyway, with the government saying two of them were already outside U.S. airspace and the third included normal deportees, not alien enemies.

Judge Boasberg is now trying to figure out if he thinks any of those flights defied his orders.

• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.