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Days after being acquitted of terrorism charges, Othman Hamdan appeared before the Immigration and Refugee Board on Tuesday to begin his fight to stay in Canada.

The Canada Border Services Agency is investigating whether Hamdan should be allowed to remain here after Facebook posts supporting the Islamic State and an admission he was once involved in an international hashish smuggling ring.

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A Jordanian citizen, Hamdan came to B.C. from the U.S. in 2002 and made a successful refugee claim based on his conversion to Christianity. He later rejected his new religion.

Canada Border Services official Randal Hyland told Refugee Board member Trent Cook that Hamdan, 35, is neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada.

And he said the agency had grounds to believe that Hamdan was inadmissible as a security risk as well as because of his serious criminality.

Hyland asked at a detention hearing Tuesday that Hamdan remain incarcerated until a full admissibility hearing can be held before the Refugee Board. The detention hearing was adjourned until next week.