A court in Columbus, Ohio has ruled against reuniting a run-away Christian convert with her Muslim parents, clearing the way for the teen girl to fight deportation.

Magistrate Mary Goodrich said Thursday that reconciliation between Rifqa Bary and her parents isn't possible before she turns 18 next week.

The court ruled it's not in the teenager's best interest to return her to her native Sri Lanka.

The 17-year-old fled her parents' home last year because she feared they would kill her for converting to the Christian faith.

Thursday's ruling allows Bary, an undocumented immigrant, to remain in the U.S. while she continues medical treatment for uterine cancer.